Hundreds of kites will take to the skies above St Annes this weekend when the much-loved festival returns. The annual event pulls in visitors from miles around and sees kite flyers come together from across the UK and beyond.
This year Fylde Council, in partnership with the team at SmileFactor10, is promising the skies will be 'awash with colour' as the event takes place on the evenings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 4 to 6.
Five flying arenas and illuminated evening
"The skies above St Anne's seafront will be awash with colour on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday as fabulous display kites take to the air on the beach adjacent to the pier," says Discover Fylde.
"There will be five flying arenas on the beach, including one outside of the dog control zone, so visitors with dogs can get close up to some of the kite action."
There is an illuminated kite flying evening on Friday. There will be a fairground on the beach and additional food and drink stalls on the Promenade and visitors are being encouraged to visit the town centre too, or take their own picnic along.
Art trail and family attractions
An artisan market featuring local producers will also be hosted in the Promenade Gardens and there'll be donkey rides available throughout the event.
On Saturday, it runs from 11am to 5pm with the fairground operating into the evening and on Sunday, it runs from 11am to 4pm.
The fun will also spread into the town centre, thanks to a colourful new art trail bringing 15 shop windows to life with kite designs created by pupils from local primary schools. Community art studio Durose Studios has hand-painted the children's artwork onto windows across St Annes, and families following the free self-guided trail can hunt for hidden letters for the chance to win a prize.
Council invites visitors to the seafront
Councillor Jayne Nixon, Fylde Council's lead member for tourism, leisure and culture, said: "There's so much to look forward to this year, from illuminated kites lighting up the night sky to our brilliant new art trail bringing colour to the town centre.
"The Kite Festival is one of our most-loved events and a real showcase for everything Fylde has to offer, so I'd encourage everyone to come down, enjoy the spectacle on the beach, and take some time to explore the town centre too."
The kite festival is entirely weather dependent and the planned programme can change without notice, for safety reasons. It does get very busy and drivers are advised to research car parks away from the seafront, with a list available here.
