It’s the dead of winter. Why not go fly a kite? That’s the plan for some of the Midwest’s top master kite flyers with this weekend’s annual “Color the Wind Kite Festival” on northern Iowa’s Clear Lake. Kay Day is one of the event’s organizers and says they’ll be bundled up against the elements to enjoy the flying.
Day says guest kite flyers are coming in from six states and they’ll be flying three-dimensional inflatable kites that expand in the air, some to as large as 32-feet wide by 100-feet in length. She says some of the kites are homemade while others cost upwards of four-thousand dollars.
Day expects some 50 master kite flyers while amateurs are also welcome to bring kites from home or build them there after taking the kite-making workshop. While some might think February is a less-than-ideal time for a kite festival, Day says wintertime is the perfect time for the annual event.
She says the frozen ice of the lake is the biggest wide open flying field you could find, while the winds are usually very steady. Also, the beautiful kites backdropped against the white snow and ice are very vibrant. The festival takes place on Clear Lake at McIntosh Woods State Park from 11 AM to 4 P.M. on Saturday. For more information, surf to “www.colorthewind.org”.