Every year on November 1st, the skies above Santiago Sacatepéquez fill with color, spirit, and tradition during the Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala. While many travelers know about Sumpango’s barriletes giganates, the Santiago Sacatepéquez Kite Festival offers a more intimate and deeply emotional experience.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know before you visit: from the history and meaning behind the barriletes de Guatemala to what makes this particular festival so unique. I’ll also share firsthand tips for getting there, what to expect when you arrive, and how to make the most of your visit. Whether you’re a photographer chasing the perfect shot or a traveler looking to connect with the heart of Guatemala’s Day of the Dead traditions, Santiago’s festival is something truly unforgettable.
Santiago’s Barriletes Gigantes: A Tradition Rooted in Spirit and Art
The Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala isn’t just a display of beautiful craftsmanship — in Santiago Sacatepéquez, it’s a living tradition that ties generations together. For the people of Santiago, creating and raising the barriletes gigantes is about honoring their ancestors, protecting their community, and keeping a sacred part of their identity alive.
Unlike Sumpango’s larger, more commercial festival, Santiago’s celebration feels closer to the heart. Families and neighbors gather in the town cemetery, where colorful kites rise among flower-covered graves. It’s both a celebration and a ceremony — a way of connecting with loved ones who have passed, during Guatemala’s deeply meaningful Day of the Dead traditions.
The barriletes themselves are breathtaking. Each one is a massive work of art made from bamboo, rope, and brightly colored tissue paper. The designs often carry spiritual messages, cultural symbols, and themes that reflect the hopes and struggles of the community. Walking among the soaring kites, you can feel the powerful mix of memory, pride, and renewal that fills the air.
If you want to understand even more about how these incredible creations are designed and what they mean, you might enjoy this deeper look at Barriletes de Guatemala: The History, Meaning, and Artistry of the Giant Kites.
While both towns — Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez — share the tradition of the barriletes gigantes, each one offers a different way of experiencing it. If you’re curious about how the two compare, I’ve put together a detailed guide here: Sumpango Guatemala vs. Santiago Sacatepéquez: Which Giant Kite Festival Is Right for You?.
How the Giant Kites of Santiago Are Made
The process of creating the giant barriletes in Santiago Sacatepéquez is a tradition that has been passed down through generations — and in 2024, Guatemala’s kites where recognized by UNESCO as part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It’s an honor that speaks to the deep cultural meaning behind every kite raised into the sky during the Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala.
Building these massive kites is a months-long labor of love. It’s a true community effort that brings together people of all ages. The creation process follows five traditional steps:
- Designing the kite, often centered around spiritual messages, environmental protection, or human rights.
- Preparing the canvas, which will form the stunning face of the kite.
- Decorating the canvas with intricate patterns using vibrant, hand-cut tissue paper.
- Making the lining on the back of the kite to add strength and durability.
- Assembling everything together, including the fringes and the tail, and mounting it onto a bamboo frame.
These aren’t just decorations — every barrilete carries a story, a message, or a prayer. While many celebrate the beauty of life and the importance of memory, others call attention to modern issues like migration, violence, and the defense of Indigenous rights in Guatemala.
When you stand among the soaring kites in Santiago’s cemetery, you can feel the emotion stitched into every colorful panel. It’s a powerful reminder that this is more than a festival; it’s a living, breathing tradition that continues to evolve while keeping its sacred roots intact.
What to Expect at the Santiago Kite Festival
The Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala at Santiago Sacatepéquez isn’t just a celebration — it feels like stepping into a living tradition. When you arrive, you’ll notice that the festival unfolds right inside the town’s cemetery. Graves are freshly painted and covered with flowers, families gather with baskets of food, and colorful candles flicker alongside the paths.
Instead of the wide, open fields like you’ll find in Sumpango, the atmosphere here is much more intimate. The barriletes rise from between the graves, their brilliant colors standing out against the bright blue November sky. It’s both festive and deeply spiritual at the same time.
Throughout the day, you’ll hear the buzz of conversations in Spanish and Kaqchikel, smell the rich scents of tamales and atol, and feel the pride and reverence that fills the air. Some of the smaller kites are flown overhead, while the massive ones are displayed upright, anchored carefully in place.
Visitors are welcome to walk among the families and admire the kites, but it’s important to move respectfully. For many locals, this is not just an event — it’s a day of remembering and celebrating loved ones who have passed away, just like in other Day of the Dead traditions in Guatemala.
If you’re hoping to experience the emotional heart of Guatemala’s Day of the Dead celebrations, standing among the barriletes de Guatemala in Santiago Sacatepéquez is unforgettable. It’s a quieter festival than Sumpango’s, but it leaves a lasting impression that photos and videos can never really capture.
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
- Sumpango vs. Santiago Sacatepéquez: Which Giant Kite Festival In Guatemala Is Right for You? - April 27, 2025
- Guatemala’s Giant Kite Festival in Santiago Sacatepéquez: All You Need to Know Before You Go - April 27, 2025
- The Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala: Insider Tips for Experiencing Sumpango’s Barriletes Gigantes - April 26, 2025
