ROANOKE, Va. – The Blue Ridge Kite Festival is back this Saturday, April 19, at Green Hill Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“My favorite part about the Kite Festival is when you drive into Green Hill Park, you see thousands of kites filling the sky of all shapes and sizes, and some things you may not think you could make as a kite. So, there’s a giant squid, a panda, different animals, and different figures up in the air,” said Marketing and Administrative Coordinator Alex North with Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
The festival, which has been going on for 24 years, attracts about 6,000 to 8,000 people from all over the state.
The Richmond Air Force Kite Club will be at Green Hill Park doing demos and showing you different flying techniques.
“They have not just your normal kites, but they have tandem kites, dual kites, and a bunch of different huge kites that you can see when you enter the park. So, it’s really cool to have them as a participant for the event, and then they’ll throughout the day be explaining everything that they’re doing over the PA system,” North said.
United Healthcare will also give away about a thousand free kites. The kite giveaway is first come, first serve.
There are also about 30 vendors selling handmade items and kites, and there are food trucks for you.
If you are coming out to the festival, you’ll enter through the main park entrance, and there are signs to help show you where to go.
North said the kite festival helps kick off spring and some of the other events Roanoke County is hosting.
Roanoke County is hosting Parkside Picks, a flea market, on May 3. Food Truck Thursdays is back on April 24 at Green Hill Park as well.