The Stinson Beach Community Center will host the First Annual Stinson Beach Surf Festival, a two-part event featuring a youth surf contest in the morning and surf movie screenings in the evening, this Saturday, March 7. Proceeds from the festival will go mostly toward improving the neighboring chapel’s multi-purpose basement, commonly called the “den,” where the Bolinas-Stinson Youth Group meets on Mondays. “It’s just to get the kids in the water and have some fun,” said community center president Toby Bisson, who was born and raised in town. Although nowadays Mr. Bisson does not surf as often as he might like, he recalls his days in Stinson Beach as a kid, and how surfing gave him an outlet to engage in a positive, invigorating activity. He hopes the contest—which is open to surfers 18 years and younger—will develop into an annual event that will keep kids in Stinson Beach busy. Mr. Bisson said that during his childhood, the community center screened surf movies as a way to bring residents together. The festival will feature two shorts and one feature film, in between music, food, a slideshow of historical photos depicting the town’s surf culture and a raffle with a grand-prize painting by local artist Michael Milton. Informational tables will also be set up by the youth group, the Surfrider Foundation, Surfworks and the Stinson Beach Historical Society. The festival is co-sponsored by Live Water Surf Shop, Marin Surf Camp and High Line Productions. Youths interested in the surf contest may call (415) 448.4994 to register; there is a $25 fee. The contest begins at 7:30 a.m. and doors open for the film festival at 4:30 p.m. $10 entrance fee for adults, and kids are free).