When the sky is filled with flying sharks, dragons, butterflies, Rokkaku and Genki kites you must be at a kite festival. On Saturday, May 9, 2009 the first Parker Kite Festival was held. Over 60 kids, ages 3 to 15 registered to enter several contests, including Longest Flying Kite, Best Handmade Kite and Most Unique Kite.
Members of the Foothills Kite Club were on hand to judge the entries and to demonstrate their really huge kites. After scouts from Troop 88 presented the colors, Parker Mayor
David Casiano opened the proceedings and thanked the many Downtown Development Council (DDC) members for their sponsorship and hard work to organize this fun event. Special appreciation was afforded to
David Van Landschoot family, the DDC, Troop 88 under Scoutmaster
Joe Skalisky, Innovative Artists, Victorian Peaks,
Kathy Wolfe and
Rick Hypes of the Foothills Kite Club and
Sam Pedregon from Pueblo. For information about many planned Parker events through the summer go to
www.oldtownparker.com.
Registration was free and the Boy Scouts helped kids make their own kites. . When the wind cooperated the large open space at O'Brien Park was a hive of activity with kids and parents racing around launching their kites into space.The sky was full of many colors and many different designs of flying objects.
Trophies were awarded by Mayor Casiano to the following participants;
Best Handmade Kite 9: (ages 5 - 10)
Natalie Hansel, (Ages 11 - 15)
Joshua Bergford.
Most Unique Kite: (5 - 10)
Anna Bellefeuille, (11 - 15)
Rachel Bellefeuille.
Longest Flying Kite: (5 - 10)
Chase Matthews, (11 - 15)
Murphy McCoy.
Jackie Campbell of Innovative Artists who organized this event believes that, for a first time effort, this was a major success. It is likely that it will be held annually in future years and there is a possibility of a fall Kite Fest in September.