Great Delaware Kite Festival to soar April 18

The Great Delaware Kite Festival, co-sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, takes place each year at Cape Henlopen State Park on Good Friday, which this year is April 18. The festival is celebrating its 57th anniversary.

Kite competition registration begins at 10 a.m., with ample opportunity for kite contestants to practice in the fields adjacent to the competition area.

An Easter egg hunt, complete with a visit from the Easter Bunny, will kick off the event at 11 a.m. when participants can scurry around to find 5,000 eggs filled with candy and toys.

The kite competitions for children and teens are scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., but could be sooner if the egg hunt finishes earlier. The highest kite competition follows at approximately 1 p.m. and is open to all ages. The prize ceremony for those competitions includes medallion awards sponsored by Lewes chamber members. The adult competitions will follow the first awards ceremony. The event concludes with the adult competition awards ceremony. Times may vary according to weather conditions and the number of competitors.

All activities are free including the Easter egg hunt, which will be limited to children age 12 and younger. Preregistration is not necessary, but participants should plan to arrive at the park much earlier than the 11 a.m. scheduled start to allow time for parking at the CHSP beach lot and free Jolly Trolley transport to the event location.

Due to the potential of soggy field conditions that caused the cancellation of the 2024 kite festival, the competition site has been moved to the east end of the parade field. Food trucks will be located on the old tennis courts adjacent to the field with picnic tables set up next to them. Other vendors will be located on the field.

The kite competitions are in three age categories: children up to age 12, teens 13-17, and adults 18 and older. Within each age category, kite flyers are judged by the type of kite they are flying – homemade or store-bought. The Special Class awards include the Open Individual Ballet (free flight performance accompanied by music which the entrant provides), Individual Precision (compulsory figures including the square, the mount and ladder down, judged on technical execution), Most Senior Flyer, Youngest Flyer, Flyer Farthest From Home, Smallest Kite and Largest Kite. The Highest Kite Award category is open to all ages.

Entrance fees for vehicles are in effect and will be collected at the park entrance; cost is $5 per vehicle for Delaware license tags and $10 per car for out-of-state tags.

The Jolly Trolley will transport attendees at no cost between the competition field and the beach parking lot.

For those who have not made their own kites and want to participate, local stores will be on site selling a wide variety of kites, with space nearby to practice before competitions. There will also be a face-painting booth along with community organizations set up surrounding the field.