Maryland International Kite Exposition

April 24^th – April 26^th 2026

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” Ocean City Kite Festival 2026

48^th Annual

September 17th thru September 20th

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

on the famous downtown boardwalk.   Celebrating its 48th 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.

Over the course of 4 days, you can expect to see the following taking place all day long:

Giant Kite Air Show

Sport Kite and Quad Kite Demos

Kite Trains

Free Sport Kite Lessons

Candy Drops

Giant Bubble Show

Running of the Bols

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.