This Hispanic Heritage Month event is returning to Long Beach

The skies of Long Beach are set to come alive with color and culture, as the Long Beach Latino Civic Association will be hosting its annual kite-flying festival in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The event will be held on Oct. 8 on the Laurelton Boulevard beach from noon to 2 p.m. Initially planned for Sept. 23, it was rescheduled due to inclement weather conditions.

The association collaborated with the City of Long Beach, which generously offered to cover the cost of 100 kites.

Since its founding in 1995, the association has been a pillar of support for health and welfare initiatives, elevating educational goals, and championing civic participation for the Latino community of Long Beach.

While visiting Puerto Rico, Nicole Fader, the vice president of the association and of Puerto Rican descent herself, found the inspiration for the upcoming event.

“I found myself on the Great Lawn of El Moro once again in Old San Juan,” she said. “Every time I go there it’s a beautiful day, the wind is blowing and people are flying kites, People of all walks of life are hanging out together on the Great Lawn flying kites. Children, adults, Grandma’s Grandpa’s. The whole family could get in on this and it seemed like it was a beautiful outing on a beautiful day.”

“That is when I thought, why can’t we do that here in Long Beach? I don’t think anyone has ever done a kite flying event in Long Beach and I think it would be great to bring our community together.”

Marking its second year of celebration, the kite-flying festival continues to soar in popularity. In its first year, the event distributed 100 kites and drew a crowd of 300 attendees.

Fader envisions the event growing year after year, drawing more people to Long Beach for the celebrated kite-flying event.

“It’s only our second year and we hope for it to grow every year. My vision is to see people come from all over the place to go to our kite-flying festival,” she said.

Annually, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the U.S. commemorates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This period is dedicated to recognizing the rich histories, diverse cultures, and notable contributions of American citizens with ancestral roots in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain.

Following the kite-flying celebration, the association is set to host its 27th annual Hispanic Heritage Gala on Oct. 19 at the Bridgeview Yacht Club in Island Park. This gala will feature Latin music, dinner, and dancing. It stands as the association’s most significant fundraising event of the year.

The kite-flying celebration welcomes everyone, encouraging participants to fearlessly soar to new heights.