MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) — The rainy morning didn’t stop the fun at Milwaukee’s lakefront, where colorful kites filled the sky.

The 39th annual IKEA Family Kite Festival took place this weekend — a free community event featuring hundreds of kites of all colors and sizes.

Scott Fisher, event organizer and owner of Gift of Wings, says it’s one of the biggest days for kite flying at the lakefront.

Fisher tells us he once worked as a pilot and ran an aviation store at Mayfair Mall. He tells us his interest in kites started years ago and eventually grew into a long-running tradition at Veterans Park.

39 years later, he’s still helping to bring color and free family fun to the city.

“I think it's a nice hobby because you can take a kite, you can come out to a park, you can sit in the grass and just enjoy your surroundings,” explained Fisher. 

The event also featured professional kite flying teams from across the country — including Washington, D.C., Long Beach, California, and Washington state — performing synchronized routines set to music.

No kite? No problem. Fisher also sells kites through his Gift of Wings shop, encouraging more people to join the hobby.

As for what’s next for the 40th anniversary next year, Fisher says, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

If you missed this weekend’s event, there’s another opportunity coming up September 12th and 13th with the IKEA Frank Mott International Kite Festival.

Follow his Facebook page here.