East Coast Kite Festival 2026
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens. f10, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The Kite Festival is one of my favourite weekends in the year. I love how the event celebrates beauty in an atmosphere of conviviality.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f11, 1/500 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/400 sec, ISO 180, +1.0 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f11, 1/320 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1/500 sec, ISO 80, -0.3 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Kites come in a myriad of shapes and functions. At the festival I was flying a delta - a triangular kite - which was pretty ho-hum compared to some of the others! The red insect one was absolutely huge. In terms of kite classification, though, it would slot into the same general category as my delta. Next up we have a big foil kite - one with cells that really catch the wind. The first time I flew a foil, I promptly lost control and treed it... Top tip: Use a ground anchor!
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/1200 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Foils generate so much lift, they can carry more than themselves. "Line laundry" is the term for wind-inflated pieces that need a lifter kite (like a foil) to get airborn. They can have really fun shapes. Below are some examples of line laundry in the forms of heroic plumbers and a horse.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.1, 1/160 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.2, 1/160 sec, ISO 80, +1.0 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
To get the full effect, this shot shows the lifter kite and its laundry. I believe it is the biggest kite that flew at the festival (though there was another one of a very similar size). Remarkably, the horse was not the biggest line laundry of the weekend!
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens, f7.1, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +1.0 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The kites mostly fly from the slope of Citadel Hill, which affords good access to the steadier winds above the tops of the trees and buildings. Below, on the Garrison Grounds, is a long concourse of food trucks and other event stands. I enjoyed some zingy samosas and smooth mango lassi.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.3, 1/200 sec, ISO 80, +1.0 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/160 sec, ISO 80, +1.0 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The festival has enjoyed increasing popularity over the years since it started. Particularly with two warm,sunny days thrown in the mix, it was a great weekend for hanging out at the Hill. The kites are the main attraction, of course, but the food, bouncy castles, and DJ add to amenities and the atmosphere.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1/200 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Here's another pairing of a lifter kite and line laundry. This time, instead of a foil for a lifter, it's a rokkaku. With a design originating in Japan, rokkaku kites are distinguished by their bowed hexagonal shape. Smaller ones are used as fighting kites, and larger ones can be used as lifters for line laundry, cameras, or weather-measuring equipment. This one was high up, so I couldn't get a good read on how large it was. It was able to loft three fun blowfish.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens, f8.0, 1/200 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Did you notice the box kite in the last photo? I've always been struck by their design. The first box kites were invented in 1863, and since then folks have been tweaking the design in fun ways. During World War Two, military life rafts sometimes came with box kites for use to lift a radio transmitter.
I wanted to get a better shot of the box kite, but my attempt coincided with a drop in the wind... And a drop of the kite! I ended up with an interesting photo with motion blur around the edges. As for the "boxers", they got their kite flying again a few minutes later.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/160 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f7.1, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
That was my own delta in the middle of the frame (and its string!), with a really cool-looking dragon kite on the left. While my delta is not as flashy as many of the other kites, it needs relatively little wind to launch.
After that shot, we're getting into a piece of line laundry that really blew me away. I felt like I was on the TV show, Extraordinary Attorney Woo...
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/200 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Up to this point, every kite I've mentioned has been single-line: even the big lifters and their laundry all use one string (if a very thick and strong one!) between the kite and the ground. This next kite has two lines. That's particularly useful if a person wants the kite to do tricks. This particular two-line kite has a foil design. It is essentially a small version of the kites used by kitesurfers.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens, f9, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Back in the single-line world, this next bit of line laundry was quite complex and impressive!
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/400 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.3, 1/200 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
My photos are mostly of the kites, but one great thing about a festival is getting to walk among the people flying them. I had several nice conversations with folks at the event. One woman told me that she found two kites in the trash, and her kids were gladly enjoying their treasures. I ran into afamily I know and had a quick chat with them. As I was walking by the man flying this ship-shape kite, I heard him say in a Pirate accent (and also a French accent!), "Arr, do your duty, kite!"
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.3 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The dynamics of flying a kite can make for an interesting time! In the next two photos, compare what the wind is doing to the line of my kite. The weight of a kite's line can be an important factor, especially when the kite gets really elevated. The long-tailed green kite is quite a bit farther up in the air.
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f8, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.7 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f10, 1/250 sec, ISO 80, +0.3 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus Pen-F, 12-200mm telephoto lens, f8, 1/320 sec, ISO 80, +0.3 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
I worry sometimes that because I look forward to the kite festival so much each year, perhaps it will disappoint me when it actually comes. Well, it hasn't happened yet! I had a delightful weekend... And yes, I am already looking forward to next year!
P.S.: Have you ever tried to take a selfie while flying a kite blindly behind you? It ain't easy! It can make for a fun photo, though.
