Look to the skies in Parksville this Saturday and Sunday in the Community Park and you’ll see an impressive sight.
It’s the ninth annual International Kitefest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. put on by the Parksville Lions and the B.C. Kitefliers Association..
The popular event brings kite enthusiasts from near and far, professional flyers as well as casual flyers. New to the festival this year is Rokkaku Battles and like it sounds, people will battle with their kites. There will be a demonstration for this and the other new activity which is for children called The Running of the Bols. Here, kids wear a harness attached to parachute-like kite and they race.
The regular favourites will also continue including Monster Kites with John Vriend, the Island Quad Team from Victoria who fly their kites in unison to music, and the Teddy Bear Drop. That children’s activity involves kids chasing parachuting Teddy Bears which are dropped from 90 feet by the Parksville Fire Department. It happens at noon both days. Kids can also build their own kites for $3.
There will be a variety of food concessions and craft vendors surrounding the kite field in the Community Park for the event. Following the Teddy Bear Drop on Sunday a Parksville councillor will hand out some awards including best kites, youngest flier and oldest flier.
A number of sponsors are helping to make the day a success. The Parksville Lions built and maintain several areas of the
Community Park including the Lions Adventure Playground, the Water Park, the Skateboard Park and the Outdoor Adult Fitness Gym.
—News Staff
