Berkeley’s Kite Festival a chance to enjoy the outdoors

People fly kites during the Berkeley Kite Festival at the Berkeley Marina. People fly kites during the Berkeley Kite Festival at the Berkeley Marina. Photo: Nicole Boliaux / Nicole Boliaux / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Nicole Boliaux / Nicole Boliaux / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Berkeley’s Kite Festival a chance to enjoy the outdoors 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Lawrence McClarty started his day early Saturday. He loaded his car with kites and folding chairs, filled his stomach with waffles from a nearby diner and arrived by 7 a.m. at the Berkeley Marina.

The 57-year-old Oakland resident’s eagle kite was the first to pierce the clouds.

Not long after, McClarty was joined by hundreds of families at the Berkeley Kite Festival, a two-day event that draws thousands of people, as children watched their parents fly kites, grabbing ahold of the handle once the kites soared above them.

McClarty made his debut at the festival two years ago without any experience flying kites. He started with a $20 kite. Now, he said he has spent $450 on various fliers.

“I never thought I would like this. I enjoy it so much that now we come out on our own,” McClarty said, gazing at the eagle, thunderbird, octopus and diamond kites he had floated into the air.

McClarty and some friends had staked out a picnic table on a mostly isolated hill. They tied their kites to the folding chairs and laughed with one another as they pointed out the oversize purple, blue and green octopuses soaring above them. A mechanic for United Airlines, McClarty joked that kite-flying would be the closest he would ever get to flying.

“The thunderbird looks like a real plane,” McClarty said.

Nearby, a man crouched down, inspecting his eagle kite, which had crashed into the grass. His blue hat shielded his face as he grabbed the string that had snapped and tied the ends back together.

The man then stood back up slowly, gleefully laughing, as the eagle fluttered back into the sky.

Shuttles dropped off children and parents at the entrance of the festival, where the kids oohed and aah-ed, pointing at the dragons, bears and tadpole kites that swayed in the wind.

Benjamin Penaloza, 6, sat on his mother’s lap at the top of a crowded hill, pointing at the many octopuses that glided before him.

His parents had driven in from Walnut Creek and this year, Benjamin decided to make his own kite at one of the festival booths.

“We just have to put the string in and it’s ready,” his father, Adolfo Penaloza, said.

The 38-year-old man concentrated as he gripped his son’s kite, a piece of construction paper with red, orange and yellow stripes scribbled on. On the backside of the kite, his son had crayoned red and orange zigzags.

Why? “I just wanted to,” the boy said.

While some of the more serious kite fliers perched on less crowded areas of the marina, many families came simply to enjoy the recreation that has been around for well over 2,000 years.

There was no kite-fighting or competing at the festival. Some people napped under their tents while others listened to drummers or toured the various food stands offering funnel cakes, barbecue and tacos.

“Everyone can (fly kites) and it’s also quiet time you can spend with your family. We put our phones down and spend time outside,” said Maura Kelley, 38, Benjamin’s mother.

Kite-flying teaches control and patience, she added.

Not far from where the Penaloza family were sitting, Chris Fong, 36, of San Mateo tried to maneuver his orange cat kite, which was drifting uncontrollably.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Fong called out, trying to prevent the kite casualty as it started to collide into someone’s ladybug. His children, ages 4 and 2, trailed behind him.

“I don’t know why everyone’s kite is going that way, but my kite is going this way,” Fong said, pointing to the right. “I don’t want to hit the other kites. It’s a little bit challenging with all the kites.”

Whether they were avid kite-fliers or beginners, one thing was certain at the Kite Festival: It was a chance to appreciate the outdoors.

“We just enjoy it. It’s relaxing, it’s therapy,” McClarty said. “We enjoy life.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani