Go fly a kite at Hayden’s festival
Multicolored kites will be flying high next Saturday above Hayden during its second annual kite festival.
Enthusiasts young and old can learn how to make their own kites during a morning kit building workshop or simply bring kites to the afternoon festival event.
“It’s a great way to get the kids away from the cartoons and video games on a Saturday,” said organizer Gary Kubodera.
He said he hopes that many people choose to build kites, something he remembers doing as a child and something he wants to pass down to his own son.
The kite flying and judging portion of the festival has been moved to Broadmoore Park which offers more room than last year’s location, Kubodera said.
Hayden Recreation Director Suzanne Cano said she hopes the kite festival will become a signature celebration for the city.
“It’s a unique event. It’s not something anybody else is doing in the area,” Cano said, adding that she expects the festival to grow bigger each year.
Kubodera is encouraging individuals and businesses to donate to the festival. As it is now kite building workshop participants need to bring their own materials, but some day Kubodera would like to see all of those provided free of charge along with more kites at the flying portion of the festival.
“For $500 we could have a really nice event,” he said.
In addition to the experience of a mass kite flying frenzy at the afternoon event, kites will be judged in contests.
Entries will be divided into several age groups. Kites made at the kite building workshop can be entered into the best built competition at the afternoon festival. Other categories include most colorful kite, most unusual building materials, largest kite, smallest kite and kite with the most interesting tail.
“There are all kinds of kites out there today,” Kubodera said.
And Kubodera would like the festival to reach beyond Hayden so that others can also enjoy kite flying. He’s working to organize a kite drive to send the toys to children in Iraq.
“After everything they’ve been through, it’s a worthy thing to do,” he said.