Festivals associated with kites around the world
In India, the kite festival or Makar Sankranti is celebrated on January 14 every year. Let's take a look at a few more kite festivals around the world.
Berkeley kite festival: The Berkeley kite festival is held in California, USA for a period of two days. Various competitions and exhibitions are held at this annual festival where different aspects of kite flying are showcased. The kites that colour the sky are vastly different from each other and are crafted in the shape of giant creatures, houses and candies in different sizes - some are large as a house and others as long as a train. The festival holds the record for the world's largest octopus kite.
Brisbane kite festival: The Brisbane kite festival takes place annually in the spring, which falls in the month of October or November in Brisbane Australia. Most kites at this festival have been crafted for several months before they are ready to be showcased during the festival. The festival also has kite-making workshops and stalls to buy kites from.
Bristol kite festival: The Bristol kite festival is held in England and completed 25 years in 2011. The festival also hosts kite-fighting battles and has welcomed guests from America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, China, Israel and many countries in Europe. It also hosts a flyers' meal and an auction party where the best kites are sold, followed by a lights and fireworks display.
Busan international kite festival: Close to 2,000 participants from 12 countries take part in this annual event that is hosted by the Busan Folk Kite Preservation Association in South Korea. This is the only place where one can see kites anchored in the sand. Competitions are held between small groups and the best kites are exhibited.
Dieppe kite festival: The Dieppe kite festival is held in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada. One of the main features of this festival is the number of participants - 40 countries. This innovative festival presents all the kite disciples and is listed among the 300 biggest world events.
Festival of the winds: This festival is held on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. It sees competitions between countries like India, Malaysia, China and Japan. There are several kite-making workshops too where people can make their own kites and fly them. It is usually held around mid-September.
Great Lakes kite festival: Held in Machigan, USA, this festival hosts kite performances by experts. It also features many kite stores, workshops and test fields where one can test fly the latest and greatest kites. People here fly kites in the night where the skies are lit up with kites that have small lights in them. This is the only venue to showcase kite stunt demonstrations.
Portsmouth international kite festival: The Portsmouth international kite festival is one of the premium kite festivals in the UK. The festival encourages women kite makers by holding separate competitions for them. Another highlight of the festival is the record attempt of kites flying in synchronised formations. In 2008, 47 such kites took to the air at once. Different types of kites are seen in the sky like 3D, structural designs and animals.
Tiptop kite day: The Tiptop kite day festival is held in New Zealand where hundreds of kites colour the sky, amusing thousands that come to watch and take part in this annual event. Many workshops are held to teach participants the nuances of kite flying. Stores also sell personalised kites.
Weifang kite festival: This kite festival is held in China from April 20 to 25 every year. It is an international kite grand meeting, which attracts large numbers of kite experts, fans and visitors. This festival was first held in 1984. During the festival, Weifang city is decorated with lanterns and colourful streamers and traditional artists perform across the city. Many colourful kites are also exhibited at the Weifang Kite museum, which is the biggest kite museum in the world.
Hamamatsu Kite Festival: is Japanese festival in Hamamatsu. It is generally known to have multiple kites, along with a lot of kite battles through the days it is held. The festival also displays examples of Japanese culture through food, and general items available for purchase in merchant booths at the festival.
