Kites fly over Washington DC for Cherry Blossom Festival

01/16

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Participants flying their kites at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and featuring an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

02/16

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A kite seen here near to the Washington Monument at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and featuring an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

03/16

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Participants fly their kites at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

04/16

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Flags fly around the Washington monument, site of the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

05/16

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A windsock is seen here at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

06/16

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Several windsocks and a child are seen here at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

07/16

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Two young participants seen with an adult at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

08/16

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The Washington Monument is seen in the background at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

09/16

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A participant flies a kite at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

10/16

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People fly their kites at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

11/16

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A woman flies her kite at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

12/16

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A kite flies in the sky in front of the Washington monument at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

13/16

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Participants fly their kites at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

14/16

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The Washington Monument, Smithsonian Castle, and a windsock are seen here at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

15/16

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The Washington Monument, seen here with a kite flying in the foreground at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

16/16

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Participants and visitors at the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

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This year marks the first annual Blossom Kite Festival, part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Previously known as the Smithsonian Kite Festival, the festival featured an array of both kites, windsocks and brightly coloured drogues.

For the first 44 years, starting in 1967, the Smithsonian Associates and National Air and Space Museum sponsored the annual kite festival on the National Mall. This year marks its first as the annual Blossom Kite Festival, as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival displayed both kites and drogues (also known as windsocks). Drogues are sometimes flown on their own and other times flown behind a kite to add drag. The Washington Monument served as a backdrop for the day. The Kite Festival was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 27th but was postponed due to a threat of snow. The Festival was almost postponed once again; it would have been unable to proceed if the US Federal Government had shutdown due to the budget disagreement on Saturday since permits for using Federal grounds would no longer have been valid and National Monuments such as the Washington Monument would have been closed off.