Wildwoods International Kite Festival — Wildwood

The Wildwoods will open the 40th annual Wildwoods International Kite Festival on Friday, May 22, with events running through Monday, May 25, on the beach at Rio Grande Avenue and inside the Wildwoods Convention Center. The Wildwoods tourism site lists the festival as free to spectators and says activities begin at noon Friday outside the convention center. Sky Festival Productions, which organizes kite events in the region, describes the gathering as a four-day program that starts with an “Unlocking of the Beach” ceremony and ends Monday with an indoor competition and performance. ### When does the festival actually start, and where is it held? Friday, May 22, is the opening day, and the first events are scheduled for noon outside the Wildwoods Convention Center, according to The Wildwoods event listing. The same listing says the festival runs through Monday, May 25, with programming split between the beach at Rio Grande Avenue and indoor space at the convention center. (wildwoodsnj.com) Sky Festival Productions lists the event hours as beginning at 7 a.m. Friday and ending at 9 p.m. Monday. Its event page says the festival is staged on the beach at Rio Grande Avenue and calls it a four-day experience tied to Memorial Day weekend in Wildwood. ### What will visitors see on Friday night? The Wildwoods listing says Friday’s program includes the opening of the kite sales tent, a Friday night social through the local kite club, and a 9 p.m. illuminated night kite fly. (wildwoodsnj.com) That night fly is one of the clearest scheduled set pieces on the public calendar ahead of the weekend. A separate local lodging calendar entry repeats the May 22-25 dates and points visitors back to the Wildwoods tourism site for the official schedule. (skyfestivals.com) That secondary listing matches the beach-and-convention-center format shown on the tourism page. ### What is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on the beach? Saturday’s posted schedule includes silent and loud auctions that are open to all, according to The Wildwoods event page. (wildwoodsnj.com) The same page says both Saturday and Sunday will feature large inflatable kites, team flying and family games on the beach. Sky Festival Productions says the festival draws flyers and spectators across age groups and frames the weekend as an all-inclusive public event. (madisonresortwildwoodcrest.com) Its listing also says the program stretches from the opening beach ceremony on Friday to the indoor competition on Monday. ### What happens on Monday after the beach events? Monday, May 25, will feature the World Indoor Kite Exhibition inside the Wildwoods Convention Center, according to The Wildwoods tourism listing. (wildwoodsnj.com) Sky Festival Productions describes the closing program as a World Indoor Kite Competition and Performance, indicating the final day shifts from the open beach into the convention venue. (skyfestivals.com) The Wildwoods page says spectators do not need to buy tickets. That free-admission detail is also repeated in several regional event calendars carrying the 2026 listing. ### How should visitors check details before going? The Wildwoods tourism page carries the core public schedule and dates for May 22-25, 2026, and directs visitors to SkyFestivals.com for more information. (wildwoodsnj.com) Sky Festival Productions also hosts an event page and says a downloadable registration form includes a fuller list of festival happenings. Memorial Day weekend visitors looking for the next confirmed milestone should watch for the Friday, May 22, noon opening outside the Wildwoods Convention Center and the 9 p.m. illuminated night kite fly later that evening. (wildwoodsnj.com)