Maryland International Kite Exposition

April 23rd – April 25^th 2027

Ocean City, Maryland

WELCOME ALL !

The Kite Loft and Ocean City, Maryland welcome you to come and fly on the beautiful beaches along our famous boardwalk. The Maryland International Kite Expo will feature three days of kite flying on the beaches of Ocean City, Maryland. Throughout the festival there will be exhibitions and demonstrations including stunt and power kite lessons. Giant kite displays and much more will fill the sky and this festival will showcase some of the best kite flyers from around the world. Kites of all shapes and sizes will be on display. On behalf of The Town of Ocean City and The Kite Loft, we welcome everyone to join in the festivities. Bring your family for several days of good old fashion kite flying. Remember, when we say “Go Fly A Kite”, we mean it.

GUIDELINES FOR FUN at The Maryland International Kite Exposition

There are amazing things to see and enjoy at MIKE festival. Look for kites of all shapes and sizes flying in the sky, ground displays featuring colorful banners, and inflatable objects and giant bubbles. Come and see a sport kite demonstration, or get a kite flying lesson! Activities are wind and weather dependent. We need to have dry weather and a steady breeze as these are important for kite flying, although it is also possible to have too much wind.

BASIC GUIDELINES FOR SPECTATORS at The Maryland International Kite Exposition

To make sure everyone has a great experience, it is important to follow a few guidelines. Spectators can enjoy MIKE from the boardwalk or the beach. There are designated areas for activities and different types and sizes of kites (see field map). Please do not enter demonstration fields. It is important for spectators and kite fliers to BE AWARE!  Always LOOK UP and LOOK DOWN!  Be careful as you walk through the flying fields. It’s possible to be looking up at the beautiful kites only to trip over a ground anchor or ground display at your feet or walk into a flying line.

• Kites are tethered to ground anchors using strong lines.
• Kites occasionally fall out of the sky. Kite lines can break, and kites can break free from ground anchors without warning.
• Changes in wind speed or direction will also cause the kites to change flight direction or come down.
• Kites may range in size from several inches to over 100 feet long . Some kites have hard frames (sticks) while others are soft kites or inflatables with fabric that fills with air.
• Kites may have multiple lines supporting or controlling them.

Please ask your children to be responsible and to stay close to you. It is easy for excited young visitors to get separated or wander away.

We ask that you please DO NOT TOUCH the kites, lines or ground displays without the kite owner’s permission!

Most importantly HAVE FUN! Feel free to meet and talk with the kiters, and ask questions! Kite fliers are friendly and love to talk about their creations, experiences, and share kite flying tips.

HAVE MORE FUN by flying a kite!

King of the Wind Kite Festival 2027

49^th Annual

September 16th thru September 19th, 2027

See the skyline of Ocean City explode with color at this weekend’s King of the Wind Kite Festival,

on the famous downtown boardwalk.   Celebrating its 49th year, this world class event is recognized as one of the top 100 most popular venues on the planet.

All are welcome to witness and participate in general kite flying, kite flying games, Bol races, candy drops, sport kite demos, or just plain kite spectating.  AND IT’S FREE!

You can expect to see a ton of new giant kites from Mermaids, Hippocampus, Angels, Octopuses, Alligators, Trilobites, Mel the giant Whale, Whisper the Winged Horse, Dragons, Woodstock, Snoopy and on and on. This will certainly pack Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk with spectators.

In addition, there will be quad line demos throughout the festival. Quad kites are four-line kites flown in formation, much like the Thunderbirds. Several times during the festival we will have as many as 16 quad flyers standing side by side, flying to music, all in perfect formation.

Be sure to bring the kids down for the Candy Drops where we drop candy from a large kite. We will do several of these on both Saturday and Sunday.

 

King of the Wind Kite Festival 2027 Event Schedule

 

Thursday – 9/16        Long Tail Thursday

        All Day                   Giant Kite Air Show

        All Day                   Free Fly

        All Day                   Fly any kite with a long tail

        Morning                Kite Trains, Stacks and Arches

        Afternoon             Animation Sky – Cartoon Characters

        All Day                   Kite Flyers Choice – Vintage Kites

                                          Pop up Night Kite Light Show

 

Friday – 9/17               Feline Friday

        All Day                   Time to fly the Furry Friend Kites

        All Day                   Any Creature with wings, birds, dragons, etc.

        All Day                   Kite Flyers Choice – Homemade Ground Display Items

       Afternoon             Red, White & Blue Day – Fly Proud

        2:30 pm                 Candy Drop

        To Be Announced      Giant Bubble Show

        All Day                   Team and Individual Sport Kite Demos

        All Day                   Giant Kite Air Show

                                         Pop Up Night Fly

               

Saturday – 9/18         Sea Life Saturday

        10:00  am             Kite Trains Air Show

        All Day                  Team and Individual Sport Kite Demos

        All Day                  Giant Kite Air Show

        All Day                  Trilobites     

        All Day                  Time to Fly the Seafood (I mean sea life)

        12:00 pm              Candy Drop

        1:00 pm                Kids Day Kite Fly – free kites to the first 60 kids between 5 and 12 years old. Kids must be present to receive the kite and must fly the kite.  

       All Day                   Kite Flyers Choice – Homemade Kite or Line Laundry

                                         Pop Up Night Fly & Light Show

               

Sunday – 9/19            Super Kite Sunday

        12:00 pm              Candy Drop

        Morning               Patriotic – Show your USA and MD pride

        All Day                  Fantasy Creatures – Dragons, Unicorns and More

        Afternoon            Vintage, Stick & Art Kites

        All Day                  Team and Individual Sport Kite Demos

        All Day                  Giant Kite Air Show

                                         Pop up Night Kite Light Show

Please keep in mind that all events are wind and weather permitting.

All of the events listed above are wind and weather permitting. So, if you don’t see any kites flying, it’s because there is not enough wind or it’s raining. Please keep in mind that all of the kites you see on the beach are owned by the kitting enthusiasts that attend the event. Feel free to take pictures but be respectful of their kites and display banners. We want everyone to enjoy the event so please join in the flying fun. You can bring a kite or purchase one at The Kite Loft and fly in the Small Kite Field as shown on the festival map.