Blossom Kite Festival
Kite Day in Washington- Alexander Chen Signed Seriolithograph
Imagine hundreds of kites in every color, shape and size soaring skyward around the Washington Monument and you will begin to appreciate the Blossom Kite Festival. Kite fliers of all ages from across the United States and the world gather to fly handmade kites and compete for prizes during this colorful event.
The Kite Festival features a handmade kite competition for children and adults, with awards given in categories such as most artistic, most humorous and most patriotic. Other highlights include a Hot Tricks kite flying competition and the popular Rokkaku Kite battle, in which Japanese-style kites battle each other for sole command of the sky.
The original Smithsonian Kite Festival was sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates and the National Air and Space Museum. It was founded in 1967 by aviation pioneer Paul E. Garber (1899-1992).\
The 2024 Blossom Kite Festival will feature:
- Sakura Taiko Fest at Sylvan Theater, produced by Miyako Taiko, a day-long celebration of dynamic traditional Japanese drumming.
- Performances by Not a Saint Band, Ian Carroll, and Guava Jelly.
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Mr. Mikio Toki, a master of traditional Edo-style kites, who is traveling all the way from Japan to showcase his kites for attendees!
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Choreographed performances and demonstrations by Team KiteLife, Wings Over Washington Kite Club, and other nationally and internationally recognized professional kite fliers.
- Adult Kitemakers Competition and Youth Kitemakers Competition.