The free ‘Morro Bay Kite Festival' to soar near the big rock in April

FABULOUS PHOTO SPOTS? When we talk about ideal places for memorable pictures around the Golden State, well, we'll be talking all day and probably through the week. For California has a considerable number of let's-pose-for-a-pic locations, from the Tunnel View scenic viewpoint in Yosemite National Park to Crissy Field Promenade, if you want some Golden Gate Bridge and/or San Francisco skyline splendor in your snapshot. But if you're going to talk colossal chunks of rock, you're going to talk about Morro Rock, a dramatic setting in any photo. And over the final weekend of April 2025 — so, April 25-27 — the volcanic plug will serve as the backdrop to the "Morro Bay Kite Festival," a pay-nothing whimsy that is all about sand, sky, and vibrant flyers.

THE WIND... near the famous natural feature is "said to be some of the best kite flying wind in the world," per kite pros who have spoken with Visit Morro Bay. You likely know this for yourself, if you've ever called upon this picturesque stretch of beach in the springtime. So grab your favorite kite, or make one if you're feeling particularly crafty, and make for the Central Coast for some sweet sky time. Also sweet? Visit Morro Bay shares that "...(f)ive hundred kites (will be) provided” for kids, so nice. Springtime on the coast is made for kite festivals, and this is one of the biggies. And can you find anything more epic, backdrop-wise, than Morro Rock? California has oodles of incredible snapshot spots, but this eons-old icon is a stand-out that is both ancient and more than a little mystical.

Updated April 10