The 16th annual Windless Kite Festival is Jan. 22-24 at the Long Beach School gymnasium.Washington’s longest beach is the Pacific Northwest’s summertime kite capital – the annual Washington State International Kite Festival is one of the region’s most popular draws – but the high-flying fun actually lifts off in winter. Kite flying is a year-round activity on the Long Beach Peninsula, and here are three events that kick off the season:
- The Asian New Year Kite Celebration is Feb. 8-22 in Long Beach.
- Spring Break Family Kite Fun, set for March 18-April 22, rounds out this triple play of kite events.
World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame in Long Beach.
This year’s Windless Kite Festival includes featured flyer Alexa King, who will hold a kite-making workshop Saturday morning. The event brings the aerial splendor of kites indoors, where practiced kite flyers dazzle the crowd – you don’t want to miss the grand finale held at 1 p.m. on the event’s final day!
Next up is the Asian New Year Kite Celebration, a two-week jamboree in February honoring the many kite cultures of Asia. The World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame in Long Beach boasts collections from 10 Asian countries, including Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian designs. Visit this event and experience a world of kites – learn about kite fighting in Afghanistan, Cobra kites, noisemakers and more!
Rounding out the three-piece set of events is Spring Break Family Kite Fun, where everything you need to know is found in its title: It’s held during spring break, it’s perfect for families, it’s completely kite-centric, and it’s tons of F-U-N fun! Look forward to trivia, kite-making and more.
Regardless of the time of year, the Long Beach Peninsula is the nation’s preeminent kite-flying playground. Our nearly endless stretch of beach offers miles of wide-open terrain; wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean lifts and dances with lofted kites.
Invented in China more than 2,000 years ago, kite-flying is an activity that now spans countries and cultures across the globe. Pack a kite during your next visit to the Long Beach Peninsula (or buy one while you’re here!) and re-experience the thrill of kite-flying.