An international kite festival will take place from May 13-14 in Turkey's Aegean resort town of Çeşme located in western Izmir province.
"The Reisdere International Kite Festival" will host professional kite runners from France, the Netherlands, Italy and the U.K. alongside their Turkish colleagues.
The festival will be held for the first time and is organized by the municipality of Çeşme, with additional support received from a local kite club. The municipality will hand out 1,000 kites during the two-daylong festival, making it easier for everyone to participate, reports said.
As to professionals, 32 accomplished kite runners are expected to participate in the festival, with 24 professionals coming to the festival from various cities of Turkey.
The festival area will reportedly be served by free city buses during the two-day event and the festival will offer music, food stalls featuring regional specialties and a sale of gift items. On Friday, May 12, a free workshop in kite construction will be held at the Reisdere Hayriye-Nuri Ertan Middle School, allowing participants of the festival to fly their own kites.
The festival forms part of the Çeşme Municipality's "Nine stops, Nine experiences" tourism project, which was initiated in 2015 with the aim of popularizing places of interest in Izmir province and which has already featured other very successful festivals.
Çeşme is known for its mild climate, historical sites, thermal springs and steady winds, especially in Alaçatı neighborhood, which makes it a favorite place for local and foreign surfers, kite surfers, as well as paragliders.