# buildwith · Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes): sources

Row #23 of `experiences_v1.csv` (research pass 3 Oct 2026, IST). Dates and deadlines come from `cal.py` (date check 4 Oct 2026, IST), which is the source of truth for dates, with the 4 Oct 2026 source-rule audit applied. The page deliberately shows **no prices** and no contact emails; see the official site.

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Name, place (Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala), continent | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| Usual timing: 1 November (annual, Día de Todos los Santos) | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| What you build / use: USE/observe giant tissue-paper kites built by local barrilete groups | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| How a traveller takes part: Attend; public kite-flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| Participation level: Spectator+ / Use | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| Entry requirements / deadline: Free entry | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com (primary) · https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 (secondary) |
| Verification note (research pass): Source audit 4 Oct 2026: newspaper link removed; the festival committee's site and UNESCO used instead. | experiences_v1.csv |
| Date: 1 Nov 2026: Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes). Held every 1 November (Govt of Guatemala). The 2026 programme isn't published yet. Build/use: Giant tissue-paper kites built by local groups. How to join: Free entry; public kite-flying: Unconfirmed: no official source. | https://guatemala.gob.gt/festival-de-barriletes-gigantes-conoce-la-tradicion-y-el-color-que-caracteriza-a-sumpango-y-santiago-sacatepequez/ |
| Date: 1 Nov 2027: Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes). Held every 1 November (Govt of Guatemala). Build/use: Giant tissue-paper kites built by local groups. How to join: Free entry. | https://guatemala.gob.gt/festival-de-barriletes-gigantes-conoce-la-tradicion-y-el-color-que-caracteriza-a-sumpango-y-santiago-sacatepequez/ |
| Take-part route "See giant kites built by local groups" (Watch & buy local): Free entry. Local barrilete groups spend months building giant tissue-paper kites (UNESCO). | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Take-part route "Fly a kite yourself" (Use local gear): Public kite-flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Check note: Held every 1 November; the 2026 programme isn't published yet. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |

## Skills you'll need (section 03)

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Skills (this experience): Understanding giant-kite (barrilete) construction: tissue-paper canvas, bamboo frame, fringes, tail and 'brakes'; Flying your own kite (public flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source); Crowd safety near giant kite launches | Skills research, checked 2026-10-04 (IST) |
| Difficulty (our estimate): Beginner (spectator plus your own kite); prep time (our estimate): 1 hour reading; optional kite-making evening. Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures. | Curiosta editorial estimate |
| Refresher, practice and safety steps: Barrilete groups work from July to 31 October: they agree a design, scale it up, make the canvas from coloured tissue paper (papel de china), add a lined edge with cord, then lash it to a bamboo (caña de castilla) frame overnight on 31 Oct–1 Nov. / Fringes and a tail give stability, and rope 'brakes' help control flight; giants (2–22 m) may be exhibited rather than flown. / The kites carry community messages and honour the ancestors on All Saints' Day; treat the field and the nearby cemetery with respect. / Watch launches from behind the marked lines: big kites can fall unpredictably. / For your own kite: open space, back to the wind, gloves for strong pull, and never fly near the giant-kite area or power lines. / Make a small hexagonal tissue-paper-and-bamboo kite at home to understand the technique. / Fly a simple kite in a park in gusty wind to practise control. / Read the Ministry of Culture's description of the technique (Spanish). / Stay behind lines at giant-kite launches. / Large crowds; plan transport and meeting points. / Respect the cemetery and the ceremonies on 1 November. | Our summary of the resources below |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Comité Permanente de Barriletes Gigantes de Sumpango (organiser)): Festival de Sumpango – barriletes gigantes: The organising committee's site: groups, history, programme updates. | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com/ |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes de Guatemala): Técnica de elaboración de los barriletes gigantes de Santiago y Sumpango: Step-by-step description of how the giant kites are designed and built. | https://noticias.mcd.gob.gt/2024/05/28/barriletes-sumpango/ |
| Resource (Official; publisher: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Section): Technique of making the giant kites of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango – UNESCO: English description of the craft and its meaning (inscribed 2024). | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991 |
| Resource (Official; publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association): Kite Safety: General kite-field safety for flying your own kite. | https://www.kite.org/about-kites/kite-safety/ |
| Also consulted for the skills section | https://www.festivaldesumpango.com/que-es-el-festival/comite-permanente-de-barriletes |
| Note: The 2026 programme isn't published yet. | Skills research (gap recorded) |

See also: skills guide `skills/kite-basics/`

## Source audit (4 Oct 2026, IST)

Official sources first; non-official sources only if the event community widely accepts them, with evidence. Links removed or replaced on this page (old links are shown as plain text, not linked):

- Old: `prensalibre.com/vida/escenario/barriletes-de-sumpango-2025-…` → New: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/technique-of-making-the-giant-kites-of-santiago-sacatepequez-and-sumpango-guatemala-01991. Why: Newspaper. Replaced by UNESCO's giant-kites page. Public kite-flying and the 2025 group count are marked Unconfirmed / removed.

## Check notes shown on the page

- Held every 1 November; the 2026 programme isn't published yet.

## Our grouping

- Levels shown: Watch & buy local, Use local gear (our grouping of the CSV participation level "Spectator+ / Use").
- Usual months used by the month filter: Nov.