Seventh Annual Kite Festival at Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Date: February 22, 2011
Contact: Dilcia Gonzalez, 787-729-6777

San Juan National Historic Site will hold its 7th Kite Festival on the beautiful historic grounds of El Morro on Sunday, February 27 from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The event is open to the public free of charge. Through participating environmental organizations and advocates, such as the Sierra Club PR Chapter, Scuba Dogs Society, Fideicomiso de Conservación, Tere Marichal and Mario Arcadia, the public will learn about ways to conserve the natural environment of the park. The grounds of El Morro, or "glacis", are constantly enjoyed by visitors for picnics, sports, learning about history and of course, flying kites. "We are pleased to once again conduct the kite festival on the grounds of Castillo San Felipe del Morro. The festival serves as a great opportunity for our visitors to learn more about environmental stewardship and how they can help maintain their park," said Superintendent Walter J. Chavez.

Each year, park staff remove tons of kite string and discarded kites from the historic walls and buildings, as well as the Paseo del Morro and San Juan Bay. This is a significant cost to the park and its cultural resources. The park staff encourages people to fly kites, however, they discourage releasing kites instead of reeling them back and disposing of them properly.

The Kite Festival provides for our visitors to participate in kite flying contests, kite making workshops and educational talks while learning how to enjoy the park in an environmental friendly manner. You are all encouraged in working together to conserve, protect and enjoy the beauty of the natural landscape and cultural resources of the San Juan NHS, a World Heritage Site. Please join park staff for a fun and educational Sunday.

San Juan National Historic Site is comprised of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, Fort Juan de La Cruz (El Cañuelo), San Juan Gate, and most of the City Wall. The site is open everyday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission to San Juan NHS is $3 for adults for one fortification and $5 for both; free for those 15 and under.

For more information, please call [phone] ext 239 or visit www.nps.gov/saju.