Celebrating 50 years of wonder and play at Franklin Park! Gather your family and friends at Franklin Park on Saturday, May 18th to celebrate spring at the annual Kite & Bike Festival!

Started in 1969, the Kite & Bike Festival is a Boston tradition that gathers more than 1,000 people at Franklin Park each May to enjoy picnicking, kite flying, bicycles & music. One resident describes the Kite & Bike Festival as “My favorite day ever in the twenty years I’ve lived in Boston!”

Picture endless blue skies dotted with colorful kites, children and families running and laughing across bright green fields — this event is not to be missed! Hosted by the Franklin Park Coalition and Hot 96.9 Boston. Check out photos from past festivals!

2019 Community Partners: Bike with Kids – Roxbury Way, Boston Cyclists Union, Bluebikes, Playworks, Appalachian Mountain Club’s OutdoorsRX, Lena Park Community Development Center’s FabLab (DIY Kite-making) & MORE!

Getting There: Biking, walking, and transit are encouraged! There will be limited parking available adjacent to the Playstead at the Giraffe Entrance to the Franklin Park Zoo.

• By Bus: MBTA bus #16 stops at the main park entrance on Blue Hill Avenue, while the #22, #24, and #49 stop at Seaver Street & Humboldt Ave or Seaver & Elm Hill Ave entrances.
• By T: Take the Orange Line T Station to Green Street or Forest Hills station. Click here for detailed walking directions and map.
• By Bike: Click here for detailed biking directions and map.
  • Bike with Kids Group Ride: Grab your helmet and bike for a fun filled bike ride through Roxbury. Join Bike with Kids on their 1st annual ride, starting in Dudley Square and ending at the Kite & Bike Festival. For more details and to register, visit roxburyway.com.
  • There are two Bluebikes stations located by the park:
    • @Franklin Park Zoo – Franklin Park Rd at Blue Hill Ave
    • @Seaver St at Humboldt Ave

History of the Kite & Bike Festival

The festival was founded in 1969 by Boston quiltmaker and visual artist Clara Wainwright, who was also a founder of Boston’sFirst Night celebration seven years later, expanding opportunities for creativity and connections. In 2010, the Franklin Park Coalition brought back the event, reimagined as the Kite & Bike Festival. Held every year on the Saturday after Mother’s Day, the festival brings out more than 1,000 people to fly kites, ride bikes, and picnic in historic Franklin Park.

In 2019 we are celebrating the start of spring and an exciting new phase for Franklin Park– the start of a new master planning effort that will guide $27 million dollars of investment in the park recently allocated by Mayor Walsh.

More information can be found here: https://www.franklinparkcoalition.org/featured-events/kite-bike-festival/