St Annes is gearing up for the St Annes International Kite Festival 2019

St Annes, Fylde Coast, Lancashire, UK. September 2nd 2018. Spectators and visitors enjoying the St Annes International Kite Festival, St Annes, Fylde Coast, Lancashire, Uk – Image Sue Burton Photography

St Annes is gearing up for its hugely popular annual kite festival which will take place from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th August.

To start the busy weekend, on Friday there will be an illuminated evening of kite flying with music from Progressive Rock Band ‘NTH ASCENSION’ from 7pm, followed by a solo ambient synthesiser set by Darrel Treece-Birch. A spectacular firework display delivered by Titanium Fireworks will close the evening.

The event which takes place on the award winning beach adjacent to St Annes Pier, will welcome tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country. A record number of kite flyers and teams will also be in attendance, filling the sky with display kites of all shapes and sizes; an incredible spectacle not to be missed!

St Annes will once again welcome international guests with the return of the highly acclaimed Alfarsi Kite Team based in Kuwait. This year, the team has generously invited and will host Awita Kites from France, along with their own team members who will travel to St Annes from across the globe.

In addition to the kites, there will also be an animation programme taking place on the Promenade delivered by the Natural Theatre Company. Keep an eye out for wandering Flowerpots, Jolly Whalers, Lively Lifeguards and more!

Over the weekend, there will be two installations; Shane Johnstone firstly creating an installation in partnership with Ribble Rivers Trust around the subject of ‘clean waters’, and Lisa Wigham hosting the ‘Beachcombers Souvenir Workshop’ on Sunday 11th through things washed up and found on the shores of St Annes Beach. Visitors can take home imprints of found forms and hand-make decorative designs in clay as souvenirs of the St Annes International Kite Festival 2019.

Sophia Hatfield who has been commissioned to develop a suite of short stories themed around people’s memories of Fairhaven Lake and Gardens will also be present with a Community Theatre Story Stall.

The popular ebublio bubble experience will return too, creating a magical experience for both spectators and participants. There will be a beach funfair, donkey rides and food & drink stalls.

This year has seen a new partnership form between SmileFactor10 and Fylde Council with sponsorship from St Annes Town Council, BiU, Cuffe and Taylor, The Lidstone Family at St Annes Pier, and many more besides.

Councillor Vince Settle – Chairman of the St Annes International Kite Festival, says, “The passion of SmileFactor10 for delivering a brilliant flying spectacle above our fantastic beach is clear to see. It is great that Fylde Council can work in partnership to ensure the delivery of a successful weekend which I know is now the busiest weekend of the year for the town”.

Dictated by the tides, the kite festival this year falls on the same weekend as the popular Blackpool Air show but has the full backing of the Coastguard Service, Blackpool Airport and Warton Aerodrome, who have all given this fantastic event the thumbs up. Why not make a weekend of it by attending both these spectacular FREE seaside events?!

Summer is proving to be another exceptionally busy one for the area with Lytham Festival and the Men’s Senior Open sponsored by Rolex having already taken place. The Lytham 1940s Wartime Weekend is still to come.

The St Anne’s International Kite Festival event is free to attend and, while the town and seafront will be extremely busy, additional car parking has been made available off the Fairhaven Road Car Park. A one-way marshalled traffic management system will also be in place along the Promenade from St Anne’s Pier in the direction of The Island, with diversions clearly signposted.

More information can be found on www.discoverfylde.co.uk/kites