The following post is by a special guest blogger: Sharlene Earnshaw, Trekaroo’s Blog Editor.

There is something captivating about watching a kite swirl and soar through the wind currents high above us.  Children love the excitement of running with their brightly colored rhombus shaped flying machines, eager to watch it catch the right current to send it up, up, up towards the clouds.   If your family can’t get enough kite flying fun, then you should definitely spend a day at one of the many great kite festivals across the nation.

Photo by: Flickr/adforce1

Here are 5 favorites:

Mayor Daley’s Kids and Kites Festival: The city of Chicago is getting ready to hold its 13^th kite festival on May 7^th, in the Montrose Harbor section of Lincoln Park.  This free event is geared towards children, giving them opportunities to build, decorate, and fly their own kites. In addition to all the kite-centered fun, there will be face painters, crafts, and food available to keep the little ones happy the whole day long.

For a comfortable stay with your kids, grab a suite at the Homewood Suites in Downtown Chicago.

Photo by: flickr/dreamsjung

Washington State International Kite Festival: Held the 3^rd full week in August every year at the World Kite Museum in Long Beach, WA, is a week-long celebration of all things kite related.  Events range from non-competitive children’s events to the Senior Fighter Kite Challenge.   Multiple kite related workshops are held throughout the week as well as themed days, including Sunday’s Family Fun Fly.  On Friday night there is even a lighted night fly with fireworks!

Family Day Kite Festival: September is always one of the most beautiful months in San Francisco- the weather is mild and fog is usually nothing more than a hazy memory left over from summer.  Head to San Francisco with your kids September 17^th and 18^th to enjoy the Family Kite Festival on the Marina Green.  Children will enjoy making their own kites for free and parents will never get enough of those amazing Golden Gate views.  Prizes will be given away in a variety of kite categories including funniest, most beautiful, and longest tail.

A great family-friendly spot to base yourself for exploring the San Francisco Bay Area is at the Homewood Suites SFO Airport

Photo by: Flickr/solyanka

Rogallo Kite Festival: Just down the road from Kitty Hawk, location of the Wright Brothers legendary first flight, is a festival dedicated to a much simpler form of flight, kite flying. The festival takes place June 11^th and 12^th on the dunes of Jockey Ridge State Park and was started to honor Francis Rogallo, the NASA scientist that developed the flexible wing.  Many of today’s stunt kites are built using the very same technology.  The festival is free and features some unusual kites such as cows, 80 foot scuba divers and a 100 foot octopus!

The Annual Huntington Beach Kite Party: Every season is the perfect season for flying a kite in sunny Southern California, and this late winter event attracts pros from around the country who are eager to show off their superb kite flying skills. The action takes place just north of Huntington Pier, a hub of classic California surf culture.  Attendees can either watch the kite stunt shows or try their hands at flying a kite of their own outside of the roped area.  The next event will be in March of 2012, so mark your calendars.

For more kite festivals around the country that will leave your kids swooning: Best Kid-friendly Kite Festivals.

Sharlene Earnshaw is a lifelong California girl who loves nothing more than to hike, travel, write, and then travel some more. Her 3-year old boy/girl twins and loving husband provide all the inspiration she needs to plan one new adventure after another. She is a self proclaimed National Parks nerd and has made it her goal to see every single National Park with her children. She is a dedicated road tripper and spent last summer on a 24 day road trip across the Western US and Canada. Her favorite travel memory is being greeted by cheers at the top of Inspiration Point in Grand Teton after being told that her toddlers wouldn’t be able to do it. She graduated from University of California at Davis with a degree in Communications.