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Kites: Early-Season Festivals Kick Off This Weekend, So If You've Got 'em, Fly 'em

Did you know:

  • The first kites were flown more than 3,000 years ago and made of leaves. This means people flew kites 1,000 years before paper was invented (around 100 A.D.). In Indonesia, leaf kites are still used for fishing.

  • The Chinese name for a kite is Fen Zheng, which means wind harp. The name is derived from early Chinese kites which used to carry wind musical instruments.
kite-kid

Flying a kite is cool.

  • During construction of some of early Japanese temples and shrines, builders used large kites to lift tiles and other materials to workmen on roofs.
  • Kite flying was banned in Japan in 1760 because too many people preferred to fly kites instead of work.

That last item is a fitting introduction to this important kite news flash:

  • Kite-flying season starts this weekend in at least 3 communities where spring weather arrives early. In Austin, Tex., for example, the Zilker Kite Festival (scheduled for Sunday, March 3) bills itself as the nation’s oldest kite festival, tracing its roots back to 1929.

So, if someone suggests that you go fly a kite, thank them kindly and then get after it. For starters, check out our list of upcoming kite festivals. (Are we missing your favorite? Please let us know.) Meanwhile, get out and get airborne.

Thanks to kite whiz Steve Hall and Sandy at Prism Designs for the kite factoids.

An Assortment of 2013 Kite Festivals

Dates
 Location
 Festival and website (if available)
March 2  San Diego
 Ocean Beach Kiwanis Kite Festival
March 2
 Richmond, Va.
 Dorey Park Kite Festival
March 3
 Austin, Tex.
 Zilker Kite Festival
  
March 9-10
 Huntington Beach, Calif.
 Kite Party 11
March 16
 Orlando, Fla.
 Kites Over Avalon, Avalon Park
March 30
 Washington, D.C.
 Blossom Kite Festival
(Washington Monument grounds)
April 5-7
 Perrin, Tex.
 Cloud Buster Kite Fest
April 20
 Wheaton, Ill.
 Go Fly a Kite
May 4
 Chicago
 Chicago Kids and Kites Festival
May 4
 Bloomington, Minn.
 Kite Day
May 4-5
 Virginia Beach, Va.
 8th Annual Atlantic Coast Kite Festival
May 17-19
 Grand Haven, Mich.
 24th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival
July 27-28
 Berkeley, Calif.
 Berkeley Kite Festival
Aug. 19-25
 Long Beach, Wash.
 Washington State International Kite Festival


For additional festivals, see the American Kite Association calendar.

kite-2-way-2

Flip Kite by Prism Designs.

kite-stowaway

Prism Designs Stowaway Delta kite.

Posted on at 10:45 AM

Tagged: festival and kites

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Ethos Adventures

Kiting is an amazing way to experience and appreciate nature!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Posted by
Ethos Adventures on Mar 02, 2013 10:29 AM
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maxhood

thanks for sharing, with so good view, kiting is really a good sport.

Posted by
maxhood on Mar 04, 2013 01:57 AM
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