The ninth annual Kite Fest was expected to draw 3,000 to 5,000 visitors Sunday, said Debbie Armstrong, DeKalb County Convention and Visitor Bureau executive director.

Kite Fest is always held on the second Sunday of September and is free for all guests. There were activities for children along with kites for guests to see and fly.

People could bring their own kite or buy one from vendors. The American Red Cross provided a temporary tattoo station, the Barbed Wire Betties provided face painting and inflatable jump houses were positioned to the west of the flying area.

Armstrong said the event brings people from all over the area as well as from Chicago’s suburbs and Wisconsin.

“This is the perfect field to have it, easy for students to get here and volunteer,” Armstrong said. “We get all these wonderful NIU Huskie student population volunteers. We couldn’t do it without them.”

The fest featured two large 90-foot kites shaped like octopuses.

Chicago Kite owner Dave Zavell had a stand selling kites and said he has been attending Kite Fest since its inception in 2006. Zavell said the best way to describe Kite Fest is by calling it “family fun.”

“Wind is free and everyone should come out and fly,” Zavell said. “This is a very good turnout … . I’d like a bigger field with none of these buildings.”

Attendee Regan Ciolino, 7, of Sycamore, said her favorite part of Kite Fest came when candy dropped from a kite and children were able to gather it.

“I wanted a butterfly kite ’cause I see all the different kinds of butterflies,” Ciolino said.