ABC Kite Fest, one of Austin’s most iconic traditions, is back for its 96th year! Head to Zilker Park on Sunday, April 14 from 10 am – 5 pm for this FREE all-day festival. Great for folks of all ages, ABC Kite Fest features an annual kite flying contest, a children’s music concert called MossFest, tons of kids’ activities, pet activities, food vendors, and more. Plus, there’s a VIP experience called “The High Flyer Club”.
Founded in 1929 by The Exchange Club of Austin to foster creativity among children, ABC Kite Fest is now the largest and longest-running festival of its kind.
Here’s what to expect at this year’s kite fest:
-
MossFest Children’s Concert: Honoring the joyful life of Moss Pieratt, and sponsored by PNC Bank, this concert runs from 10 am – 1 pm and features a variety of family-friendly artists like the Barton Hills Choir, Justin Roberts, DiscoTex, and Mr. Will. Get the lineup here.
-
Food Court: Offering delicious bites from Austin’s local food scene, you’ll find more than 30 food and drink vendors at ABC Kite Fest! Get ready for JP’s Pancake Company, Gelu Italian Ice, Certified County Lemonade, and SO much more.
-
Pet Zone: Bring the dogs to an off-leash pet playground pop-up, presented by Austin Subaru, featuring dog-friendly activities like a three-ring jump and tunnel run. They’ll also have rock climbing walls for a little exercise for the humans.
- Community Kite Contest & Showcase Presented by H-E-B: The kite contest is open to all ages and is free to enter. Registration begins at 11 am and the contest and showcase begin at 1 pm. All kites are welcome and must be able to fly to qualify for judging. There are categories like “Most Unusual Kite”, “Youngest and Oldest Kite Fliers”, “Largest Kite” and more. Check out all the details and categories here.
- High Flyer Club VIP Experience: Tickets are available here for attendees interested in a VIP experience, presented by Texas Mutual. The VIP experience includes early access to the park, upgraded parking, catered refreshments, breakfast, lunch, and snacks, upgraded restrooms, face painting, a live DJ, bounce houses, upgraded and covered seating options, and more here. VIP tickets are $100 for anyone 9 or older. Kids 8 and younger are free with an accompanying, ticketed adult.
Parking & Transportation: The ABC Kite Fest is offering parking passes for $25 per vehicle here. There are limited parking spots, so please purchase yours in advance.
ABC Kite Fest is also offering round-trip shuttles from their South Austin and Downtown Austin locations. You can purchase shuttle passes for $5 per person here. (Kids 5 and under are free with a ticketed adult). Get the locations, timing, and tickets for shuttles here.
To plan your trip with CapMetro, use Routes 3 and 803.
- MetroRapid 803: Running every 15 minutes during the event, this route takes riders to Barton Springs Station on South Lamar Boulevard. 803 Current Schedule
- MetroBus 3: Running every 30 minutes, seven days a week, this route takes riders to Barton Springs Station on South Lamar Boulevard. 003 Schedule
For more information on ABC Kite Fest, visit www.abckitefest.org. To stay updated on festival news and announcements follow ABC Kite Fest on Instagram and Facebook.
