Catalina Island’s seventh annual Flying Fish Festival held over the weekend was a “fabulous” success, according to Donna Harris, Director of Marketing for the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce.
The weekend was marked by numerous activities for young and old, from boat building contests to a live ukulele concert.
Catalina Island’s seventh annual Flying Fish Festival held over the weekend was a “fabulous” success, according to Donna Harris, Director of Marketing for the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce.
The weekend was marked by numerous activities for young and old, from boat building contests to a live ukulele concert.
The guests of honor, the California Flying Fish, did their part as well, putting on a spectacular show. “The flying fish made a fantastic appearance. The water seems to be warmer and they seem to be here earlier. Lots of people who went to see flying fish got to see lots of them,” she said.
New events this year included the ukulele workshop. Harris estimates about 30 people joined in on the event. She said the chamber had about 30 “loaner” ukuleles for those who wanted to participate in the uke lessons.
“We loaned all of them out,” she said.
On Saturday evening, Islanders and visitors were treated to a free concert at Wrigley Stage by master ukulele artist Taimane Gardner.
Other new events included the “Flying Fish Fun Run,” a one-mile run for kids, as well as a cardboard boat-building contest.
The boat-building contest fell into two categories: those that were “pre-built” and those that were built on site.
The miniature vessels represented a variety of imaginative designs and prizes were awarded for Best in Show and Most Creative.
There was also a prize for “Most Epic Shipwreck.”
Hilton Stemwedel’s ukulele-shaped “26 Miles” boat won Most Creative in the pre-built category and Teri Alexander and Bob Shelley’s “Silver Bullet,” made entirely of empty Coors Light containers, won Best in Show. Alas, “Silver Bullet” also won Most Epic Shipwreck.
“Mello Madness,” designed and built by the Mello family, won both Most Creative and Best in Show in the “built on site” category.
The California Flying Fish, whose Latin name is—get ready for this—Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus californicus, is the largest of all the species of flying fish.
Like all flying fish, our local variety doesn’t actually “fly” per se, but rather leaps from the water and glides through the air, usually in an effort to escape predators.
