Schedule Begins March 25-26 with Annual Fly Into spring / Easter EGGstravaganza
Kitty Hawk Kites is pleased to announce its 2016 event schedule. This year features a wide variety of events from corolla to Hatteras.
Going into its 42nd year of teaching the world to fly, Kitty Hawk Kites has long been a leader in hosting events on the Outer Banks. With annual festivals covering the spectrum of celebrations – from kites, hang gliding, and paddleboarding to watermelon, pirates, and flying kegs! “We pride ourselves in hosting a unique blend of Outer Banks events each year for our community of locals and visitors to enjoy,” said John Harris, Kitty Hawk Kites founder and president. “For over four decades, we have been teaching the world to fly in many ways and our events are a pure extension of that mission.”
Kitty Hawk Kites – 2016 Event Schedule:
For complete details, including event sponsorship information, visit KittyHawk.com/events or contact events@kittyhawk.com.
MARCH
Fly into Spring / Easter EGGstravaganza
Friday, March 25 – Saturday, March 26
10:00am – 4:00pm / Jockey's Ridge Crossing
* Join Kitty Hawk Kites over Easter weekend. Enjoy the 30- to 100-foot kites flying high over the dunes of Jockey's Ridge State Park. Kids can also take photos with the Easter Bunny and hunt for thousands of hidden Easter eggs (including some silver and golden eggs containing special prizes!) at Jockey's Ridge Crossing in Nags Head. This event is free to the public.
MAY
44th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular
Friday, May 13 – Monday, May 16 – Jockey's Ridge State Park
* Pilots from around the world are again invited to participate in one of the sport's largest events and the longest-running competition in the world, right here in our back yard! There is an entry fee for pilots to participate, but free for the public to watch. Details at HangGlidingSpectacular.com.
Kiteboarding clinic with Evan Netsch; Summer Kickoff Yard Party
Saturday May 28 – Sunday, May 29 – waves village Watersports Resort
* Cabrina Kiteboarding pro, Evan Netsch, will lead a two-day clinic at Waves Village Watersports Resort. Find clinic details at KHKkiteboarding.com. On Saturday, join Kitty Hawk Kites for a summer kickoff party at Waves Village. Featuring kiteboarding videos, food and drink from Good Winds Restaurant and local vendors, an artful TOMS Style Your Soul shoe event, and much more. Festivities will begin around 3:00pm.
TOMS Style Your Soul
Sunday, May 29 – Kitty Hawk Surf Co., Nags Head
* Kitty Hawk Surf Company, TOMS, and local OBX artists will host this unique and colorful TOMS Style Your Soul event. Just purchase a pair of blank canvas TOMS and have a local artist decorate them for free. Of course, no two pairs will be alike! With each pair of shoes purchased, a pair is donated to a child in a developing country.
JUNE
34th Annual Rogallo Festival
Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12
10:00am – 4:00pm / Jockey's Ridge State Park
* Celebrate the accomplishments of Francis and Gertrude Rogallo, the inventors of the flexible wing. They started the sport of hang gliding and their designs have carried over into the creation of stunt kites, power kites, and hang gliders that are flown today. Then catch a glimpse of the many 30- to 100-foot kites above the dunes at Jockey's Ridge. Or bring your own kite to fly! This event is free to the public.
SUPtastic Paddleboard Race
Saturday, June 18
9:00am Registration; 10:00am Race / Kitty Hawk Kites, manteo
* Stand up paddleboarders unite for this fun day of competition in a race around Roanoke Island Festival Park. Beginners and experts are invited to participate, with two different courses designed to fit various experience levels. Entry fee ($25-$35) includes lunch and an awards ceremony following the event.
JULY
38th Annual Wright Kite Festival
Saturday, July 16 – Sunday, July 17
10:00am – 4:00pm / Wright Brothers National Memorial
* Take flight with Kitty Hawk Kites where history was made at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Enjoy large display kites filling the air, free stunt kite flying lessons, and a kite-making station for the kids. Admission to the park is $4.00 but festival participation is free!
Light Up the Night
Tuesday, July 26
6:00pm / Waves Village Watersports Resort
* Join Kitty Hawk Kites at Waves Village Watersports Resort and enjoy a relaxing evening on the sound. Participate in free NOCQUA kayak and paddleboard demos, have fun with light-up games and toys, and enjoy a movie under the stars on a large inflatable movie screen. Just don't forget to bring a blanket!
AUGUST
10th Annual Outer Banks Watermelon Festival
Thursday, August 4
10:00am – 4:00pm / Jockey's Ridge Crossing
* The Outer Banks Watermelon Festival is a fun-for-all-ages fundraiser benefitting the Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition and features games, music, food, prizes, and of course, lots of watermelon, generously provided by Food Lion. Now you can help keep OBX bicyclists and pedestrians safe by attending this timeless summer tradition!
OBX pirate festival
Wednesday, August 10 – Thursday, August 11 – Jockey's Ridge Crossing
*Ahoy Mateys! Get ready for a swashbuckling good time as pirates and their friends invade Jockey's Ridge Crossing in Nags Head. Experience an 18th-century living history encampment and learn the legendary tales of OBX pirate history. Kids are invited to participate in a free Scalawag School to see if they have what it takes to be part of Blackbeard's Crew! Pirates will also make appearances at some of our favorite local Outer Banks restaurants.
SUPtastic Paddleboard Race
Saturday, August 13
9:00am Registration; 10:00am Race / Waves Village Watersports Resort
* Stand up paddleboarders are invited to test their paddle skills with this challenging 15-mile open-water race on the Pamlico Sound. Following the race, prizes and lunch will be provdided at Good Winds Restaurant for all race participants.
SEPTEMBER
Kitty Hawk Surf Co. Kayak Fishing Tournament
Saturday, September 17 – Kitty Hawk Surf Co., Nags Head
* Kayak fishing enthusiasts are invited to participate in this dawn-to-dusk catch and release tournament. The tournament spans from Bonner Bridge to the Wright Memorial Bridge. The entry fee of $40 includes a captain's cookout and awards ceremony following the event. Compete for over $500 worth of prizes!
OCTOBER
2nd Annual OBX brewtag
Saturday, October 22
12:00pm / The soundside event site, Nags Head
* Flying kegs, a beer garden featuring over 20 local and regional beers, a rock climbing wall, a mechanical shark, kids zone, and live music. You can't ask for much more from a fall festival! obx brewtag is a one-of-a-kind celebration of flight and beer to benefit The Rogallo Foundation. Details at OBXBrewtag.com.
31st Annual Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition
Saturday, October 22 – Sunday, October 23 –
The Soundside Event Site, Nags Head
* The Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition is a regional event that showcases world-class stunt kiting skills. Competition categories include: precision, choreography, and dual team and feature some of the top kite fliers in the nation! OBSKC will be sharing the stage with OBX Brewtag in 2016. The kite competition will be held on Saturday and Sunday morning with free kite demos also available on both days.
NOVEMBER
Hangin' with Santa
Friday, November 25 – Saturday, November 26 – Jockey's Ridge Crossing
* Enjoy a free visit and photo with Santa at Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head.
Saturday, November 26
3:00pm – 6:00pm / Jockey's Ridge State Park
* Don't miss this unique Christmas light show on the dunes of Jockey's Ridge State, featuring a one-of-a-kind assortment of kites decked out in the holiday spirit! Enjoy hot cocoa, cider, and treats at Jockey's Ridge Crossing during the event.
2016 BIC sup One Design Series
* BIC SUP is a series of stand up paddleboard races featuring BIC's One Design race style SUP. This event is a fun and friendly competition. Brief clinics will be held prior to each competition, which makes this series great for beginners and experts alike. Free to the public to participate. Registration and clinics start at 9:00am. Then the races begin at 10:00am for most events. Check KittyHawk.com/events for specific details.
- Saturday, June 4 – Kitty Hawk Kites, Manteo
- Thursday, June 30 – Kitty Hawk Kites, Duck
- Thursday, July 14 – Waves Village Watersports Resort
- Thursday, July 28 – The Sanderling Resort, Duck
- Thursday, August 25 – Kitty Hawk Kites, Duck
- Friday, September 2 – Kitty Hawk Kites, Manteo (time TBD)
2016 Kitty Hawk Kites Kids Days
June 15 – August 24
* The perfect summertime escape for locals and visitors! Kids' activities include rock climbing wall (Nags Head), ropes course (Waves Village), wax hand molds, kite making station, face painting, tie-dye, and more. However, activities subject to change.
Tuesdays
- Kitty Hawk Kites, Avon (10:00am-12:00pm)
- Kitty Hawk Kites, Corolla – Monterey Plaza (2:00-4:00pm)
- Waves Village Watersports Resort, Rodanthe (3:00-5:00pm)
Wednesdays
- Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head – Jockey's Ridge Crossing (10:00am-2:00pm)
- Kitty Hawk Kites, Hatteras – Hatteras Landing (4:00-6:00pm)
About Kitty Hawk Kites:
Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974. As the world's largest hang gliding school, Kitty Hawk Kites has taught over 400,000 students to date. In addition, Kitty Hawk Kites offers more than 25 other outdoor activities ranging from kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, kiteboarding, paragliding, and parasailing to surf lessons, jet skis, sunset sails, dolphin tours, and wild horse tours – truly the Outer Banks' leader in adventure and recreation.
Kitty Hawk Kites' retail operations have also experienced quite the upward trajectory from its original home in Nags Head, expanding to over a dozen locations on the Outer Banks, as well as three stores on the Emerald Coast of Florida (Destin and Fort Walton beach), a location in Virginia Beach, and a presence in Beaufort, NC. A growing e-commerce operation, 11 Life Is Good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes, a Natural Life store in Nags Head, a world-class watersports resort in Rodanthe, a Flight Park in New Hampshire, and several Kitty Hawk Surf Company stores round out the company's growing portfolio.
