Kites and Balloons: Festivals in the skies of Emilia-Romagna

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Kites of all colours and shapes pirouetting through the skies of Emilia-Romagna, and hot-air balloons soaring through the air, taking us to another dimension.

If you are looking for unusual experiences to spend a pleasant day outdoors with children, family or friends, here are some colorful ideas from Romagna and Emilia.

International Kite Festival | Pinarella di Cervia

Beyond the pine forest, before the sea water, there’s a fantastic place where you can fly.

From Saturday 20th April to Wednesday 1st May 2024 on the beach of Pinarella di Cervia Artevento – International Kite Festival returns, the first event expressly dedicated to kites as an art form.

Present since 1981 and now in its 44th edition, the event boasts the record of the longest-running International Kite Festival in the world and is a promoter of sustainable lifestyles that respect man and nature.

Being on the beach while the colorful kites are in flight, led by the best performers from 50 countries around the world, provides an immersive and participatory experience: a show celebrating freedom, inclusion, and brotherhood among people through the most original contamination of visual and performing arts.

The program includes aerial acrobatics, environmental installations, night flights, educational workshops for children, construction courses for adults, and attractions in the exhibition areas on the beach.

This is what awaits us during the 12 days of this 44th edition of the festival:

The show celebrating this edition’s country of honour, Korea (one of the first countries where the practice of kite flying spread in antiquity, after its origins in China), during which we will be able to admire the precious traditional “hanbok” dresses painted by guest artist Kibeom Jung.
The presentation of the restoration of Mimmo Paladino’s kite, built by Masters Tamura and Ogasawara, and a focus on Japan, thanks to the partnership with the Japan Kite Association and the Tokyo Kite Museum.
A focus on China, represented by the ancient tradition of Beijing, to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler who first told Europe about the kite; the dragon will light up the most eagerly awaited night show of the festival, on the beach dotted with lanterns.
A tribute to the history of the Antoniano di Bologna choir, with the children of the Zecchino d’Oro as spokespersons for a culture of peace.
The pink flamingo, which has settled in the wetlands of the Po Delta, as the poetic symbol of the edition and inspirational theme for the aeolian works of guest artists and educational workshops; a choice that pays homage to the Cervia Salt Pans, recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the bolognese Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless telegraph system based on radio waves: a fitting tribute to the role played by the kite in his experiments.
Many guests of excellence who have turned kite design and acrobatic flying into a new poetic language; among them Carl Robertshaw, star of British design and multi-awarded aerobatic champion.

INFO

Vulandra | Ferrara

From Friday 10th to Sunday 21st April 2024, the “G.Bassani” municipal park in Ferrara will host Vulandra – International Kites Festival, the event dedicated to sport and amateur kite flying, with the participation of hundreds of kite flyers from all over Italy and abroad.

The programme includes static and acrobatic kite displays, workshops for children, acrobatic flying courses for professionals and enthusiasts, refreshments and a large inflatable playground for children.

INFO

Where to fly in a hot-air balloon in Emilia-Romagna

Between Reggio Emilia and its province, there are two places where it’s possible to board a hot-air balloon, to fly through the sky and admire the Emilia-Romagna landscape from a truly unusual viewpoint.

In Carpineti, in the heart of the Lands of Matilda of Canossa, it’s possible to fly in a hot-air balloon over the Apennines at dawn, while the landscape is gently illuminated by the first light of day. INFO

For the less morning persons, it is possible to fly in the afternoon, departing from Reggio Emilia Airport. INFO

In both cases, the flight lasts about an hour and allows you to experience the unique sensation of being carried away by the wind, immersed in silence, taking photographs with unprecedented shots, and discovering the area from a privileged perspective.

The experience is also suitable for children, from 8 years on.

Volare in Mongolfiera

As of today, there is no certainty as to whether the Ferrara Balloons Festival will take place; we will include it in the article should this year’s edition be confirmed.

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