Thousands of people are expected at one of the country’s biggest kite festivals in Redcar on Saturday and Sunday 14 and 15 June.
The second Redcar Kite Festival follows the huge success of the inaugural event last year which attracted 17,000 people – with a range of free and low cost activity for all to enjoy
Some of the most spectacular and largest kites in the world will there and the festival will celebrate our natural environment.
This year there will be the introduction of a new atmospheric market on the eve of the festival on Friday 13 June (from 4pm to 9pm). The Majuba Sunset Market will have with delicious street food and chilled out music from ‘Globadelic’ DJs.
The kite festival will then be held on Saturday 14 June and Sunday 15 June and each day there will be kite flying displays by the Northern Kite Group in beach arenas including:
- kite displays to music
- Stunt kites
- Chinese dragon
- Kite ballet
- Inflatable kites
- Rainbow Deltas – chance for children to fly a kite.
As well as some amazing kite displays, there is also plenty to keep visitors entertained at ground level. Free workshops in our Marquees by the Sea include kite making workshops with Infinite Arts; Rockpool School (Saturday); Big Science workshops (Sunday); Nutkhut Kites of Asia kite making and storytelling and artist-led Make-Your-Own-Jellyfish workshops. Open Country will be leading workshops to make wheelchair flags and Redcar & Cleveland Recycling Team will be leading workshops to make windsocks.
On the beach, try your hand at sand sculpting with workshops with Sand in Your Eye. And for a small charge, you can take part in the Rock Showman’s Fossil Safaris and Fossil Polishing.
Walkabout performers will celebrate Redcar’s coastal location. On Saturday, come and say hello to Cali and Mali – giant stilt walking octopi.
On Sunday, the festival will welcome the debonair Maritime Captain Monty Montague with his water-skiing wife Minty. Throughout the weekend, look out for the Working Boys Club Serving Sounds – a mobile bar who serve up beats rather than beer.
BBC Tees will be joining the fun on Saturday 14 June and the stage will feature a live music programme throughout the weekend.
There will also be vintage fairground rides and a fabulous street food and drink market, featuring local and regional stall holders who will be serving up everything from gourmet burgers to sweet treats.
Cllr Carrie Richardson, Cabinet Member for Climate and Culture, said:
“This is a spectacular fun event for the whole family – and it’s completely free. We’re expecting big crowds and, if it is anything like last year’s festival, it will be joyous…come down and join the fun!”
Parking and travel information
A Park and Ride service will be available on both Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June with outbound journeys from Kirkleatham Showground, Redcar. Motorists may leave their vehicle at the Showground and be dropped off by bus at Redcar's TunedIn! on the seafront. Parking at Kirkleatham Showground is FREE. Buses will run every 20 minutes both ways. Adult return ticket: £2. Child (5-16) return ticket: £1.
Link for outbound journeys: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/redcar-and-cleveland-borough-council/e-egqllb
Link for return journeys: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/redcar-and-cleveland-borough-council/e-beojre
Please note: Only disable parking will be available at Majuba Road Car Park.
Fun Facts
- The smallest kite in the world that can actually fly is 5mm high.
- The longest kite in the world is 7,700 metres in length
- The fastest recorded speed of a kite is over 120 mph. (193 km/h).
- The aeroplane is a development of a kite.
- Kite flying is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
- More adults in the world fly kites than children.
- People were flying kites 1,000 years before paper was invented.
- Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning was electricity.
- Kites have been used for fishing, bird scaring, delivering mail and papers, forecasting the weather and frightening evil spirits away.
- The largest kite in the world is the Megabite 55 x 22 metres (630sq metres).
- Some Japanese kites weigh over 2 tons. And some of the longest Chinese Dragon kites are over 600 metres long.
- The first powered aircraft were large box kites with motors fitted to them.