Go fly a Kite

Kite-flying looks pretty simple at first glance.  A kite is basically made up of spars (sticks) that hold panels of fabric, paper, or plastic taut, plus a reel of strong but lightweight twine to give the kite free range to soar up to the skies. The only other thing needed is a person to fly that kite - although mast-ering a kite’s flight - especially with more complex kites - it is a different story.  
Kite flying is also a much older “hobby” than most people probably think - Benjamin Franklin, of course, famously used a kite in his experiment to prove that lightning is electricity.  And kites were also utilized in military applications for delivery of messages and for observation, and were used in the development of flying machines - as early trials by Alexander Graham Bell and the Wright Brothers can attest.
You might think that kite-flying is widespread in the U.S. - and you’d be right.  Kites can be found anywhere from import shops to toy stores in all shapes and sizes; even grocery stores will sometimes sell plastic kites with cartoon or movie images as part of the design. 
But it’s an even more popular recrea-tional activity in the Asian countries, especially India, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, and Japan, where the kites are often extravagantly beautiful, painted with great detail, sometimes enhanced with three-dimensional papier-mache details, and are shaped like dragons, frogs, insects, birds, and other creatures.  And, in some of these countries, “kite fighting” is held, where participates try to snag each others’ kites out of the sky, or where they coat the strings of their kites with a mixture of ground glass powder and glue in order to try and sever their opponent’s lines. 
DELTA KITES
In the U.S., some of the most popular kites are box kites and Delta kites which are easy to fly and durable should your kite pull a “Charlie Brown” and head into a tree.  
“Delta kites are definitely the easiest to fly,” festival staffer Lisbet Bryan confirms, “they appear like the silhouette of a pyramid, but they’re flat - they will go up in light winds and are very stable.” 
Most kites, even more exotic varieties or “trick” kites, which can be used to do loop-the-loops and other nifty maneuvers - can be flown nearly anywhere that there’s a decent-sized open space.  But if you really want to get a feel for all of the variety that kite-flying can offer, then you’ll want to head for the annual Mackinaw City Kite Festival this week, where they’ll be flying both box and Delta kites, plus a 100-foot dragon which undulates like a snake. Then there are 3-D kites that fill with wind and are reminiscent of the balloons in a Thanksgiving Day parade. 
Started back in the ‘80s by Bob and Steve Negen, who co-own the Mackinaw Kite and Toy Company, the initial Mackinaw Kite Festival event was held at the old airport in town. The venue that was lost to the festival when the airport became a golf course.  In 2000, the festival was reinstated with the help of the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau at Conklin Heritage Park, which is right on the water in downtown Mackinaw City. It’s the perfect place to both fly the kites and for visitors, to view them.  And if you arrive without a kite of your own but still want to participate, Mackinaw Kite Company - located nearby, can help out with that, too.
 FOND MEMORIES
Bryan reports that she and the Negens will be flying some larger and more unusual kites themselves, which will make for a great, colorful spectacle in the skies above the park - and an event that can be enjoyed by all ages.
“Kite flying is thousands of years old and enjoyed around the world,” Bryan enthuses, “who doesn’t have fond memories of flying kites? Many older people come up to me during the festival with a smile on their face and tell me stories of their kiting experiences in their youth.  It brings back such good memories that they often get a kite and join us. I, myself, love the festival because it’s fun, laid back, visually exciting, and good old-fashioned fun.”
And did we mention that it’s free?  That’s right, all of this kite-flying fun can be yours, as well as other day activities, including a candy drop (from one of Mackinaw Kite Company’s own kites!), free watermelon, egg-on-a-spoon relays, and even a sack race, which kite shop owner Steve Negen is reportedly undefeated in!  “This year, I will give a $25 gift certificate to anyone who can beat Steve in the sack race,” Bryan laughs.  Now that’s definitely enough to go and buy a great kite of your own.
 
This year’s Mackinaw Kite Festival will be held on June 17-18 (rain or shine) at the downtown Conklin Heritage Park in Mackinaw City.  People are welcome to bring their own kites to fly, and there is no charge for the event (unless you choose to purchase a kite.) View On Our Website