The longtime Blue Ridge Kite Festival will take a one-year break in 2019. While the popular event will not happen this year, it will be back in 2020 under the guidance of Roanoke County’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.
The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce has hosted the popular all-day kite flying festival at Roanoke County’s Green Hill Park for two decades. Each year, thousands of people travel to Green Hill Park to enjoy the colorful skies and atmosphere. “For years, we’ve worked closely with Roanoke County to host the Kite Festival,” said 2019 Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce President Toni McLawhorn.
“We want the public to know that the event will continue, but under the county’s leadership,” said McLawhorn, who explained the change. “The Chamber is a business-networking organization and it has become increasingly difficult to provide for the business needs of our members and organize the Kite Festival. This is a positive change that will allow the event to continue under the leadership of an organization that is skilled at and accustomed to hosting large-scale events.”
Wendi Schultz, Roanoke County’s tourism and event coordinator, has helped plan the Kite Festival event alongside the Chamber for years. “The Kite Festival is an absolutely wonderful community event and will be back in 2020,” said Schultz. “We want to continue the long standing tradition of this event and continue to provide quality events for the community and the region.”
A date for the 2020 Blue Ridge Kite Festival has not yet been announced, but will made public in the near future by Roanoke County’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.
