Courtesy of Detroit Kite Festival
The phrase “go fly a kite” has never sounded so enticing.
Returning to Belle Isle for its second year, the Detroit Kite Festival is a free nonprofit event that aims to provide a platform for inclusion, healing, and most of all play.
“Kites are a platform to bring Detroiters together, celebrate history and culture, and to engage with others,” says Detroit Kite Festival director Margo Dalal. “We are grateful to have such a supportive community and willing partners to make this the collaborative festival that it is.”
Guests are invited to purchase or borrow kites onsite. Children will have an opportunity to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts Education Studio's Kite Making Tent to craft their own high-flyers, while guests of all ages are encouraged to tinker and explore.
Want to take your kite for a test run? Visitors can stop by The Will It Fly tent to learn about kite aerodynamics and how to better design your creation. And for the kite shy, the Windjammers Kite Team will perform a synchronized kite show.
In addition to partnerships with the Belle Isle Conservancy and the Michigan Department Natural Resources, this year the festival has teamed up with the Michigan Philharmonic, which will provide a live musical score for the day's kite flying.
“Child-like play is perhaps the best activity to bring people together,” the Detroit Kite Festival website reads, in part. “Playing, for people young and wise, encourages imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Playing helps us interact with the world around us.”
Kites will take flight from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 15 at Belle Isle's Cricket Field, located next to the Belle Isle Casino. The event is free and open to the public.
Get our top picks for the best events in Detroit every Thursday morning. Sign up for our events newsletter.
