Colorado wind is capricious; it arrives with gale force or not at all, which typically doesn’t make for great kite flying. But now is the time to channel your inner Ben Franklin. In April, the Denver breeze reaches its highest average speed and blows harder for longer than the rest of the year. Plus, the city’s green spaces aren’t yet packed with congregating hordes who might trip up your takeoff.

Still need a reason to launch? Look to the northwest, where the 13th annual Arvada Kite Festival will lure thousands to Stenger Soccer Complex on April 3 for free bouncy houses, inflatable sumo balls, and plenty of kite-related cavorting. Four weeks later, on April 30 at Anderson Park, the three-year-old Wheat Ridge Kite Flite Festival will pair kite flying, face painting, and other kid-friendly doings with the Wheat Ridge Police Department’s yearly child-safety fair. (The cops will bring their own aircraft: a Flight for Life helicopter.)

5280 April 2016
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If you prefer a solo flight, the Rocky Mountain Kite Association advises heading to Sandstone Park in Longmont, Central Park in Stapleton, Great Lawn Park in Denver, or Trail Winds Park in Thornton. All four have a lot of space and few vertical obstructions, like the pesky trees you find at so many parks these days.