Dozens of kiters hit the beach on Saturday to fly the friendly skies.

The weather was a little cloudy, but there was just enough wind to keep all sorts of kites in the air during the first Kenai Kite Festival. Kids were given free kites thanks to donations from Walmart, and everyone had the opportunity to build their own kite at the Kenai Library the Friday before the event with materials donated by Spenard Builder’s Supply.

Some kites were in the shapes of dragons or manta rays, while others depicted cartoon characters and superheroes. One man, Milt Bristow from Nikiski, even had his kite connected to a fishing pole in order to reel it back in easier. The event featured free hot dogs and T-shirts, as well as demonstrations from Alaskiters, a kite-flying club based in Anchorage.