Excitement Soars as Kite Festival Nears
CHERRY VALLEY—The 10th Cherry Valley Kite Festival, a fun-filled, family-oriented event, will take to the air once again on Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28.
The biennial festival has become a highly anticipated event on the Otsego County Fall Tourism schedule, drawing more than 1,500 attendees to the beautiful and historic Village of Cherry Valley. Kite flyers, kite makers, and members of kite clubs from all over the Northeast and Canada will be coming for the entire weekend, filling the skies over Cherry Valley with kites of every size and description.
The opening event will be an Indoor Kite Fly on Friday evening, organizers said.
According to a press release, “Some of the world’s best indoor flyers, including former world champions, will enchant the audience with their skill. This gravity-defying display of grace, athleticism and science will be preceded by a kite-building workshop for people of all ages. Both events will be held in the Cherry Valley Community Center. Because we want more people to enjoy this event, we are making the kite-building workshop free, as well as offering free admission for kids under 5.”
Saturday morning will begin with a 9 a.m. Children’s Kite-building Workshop in the Old School Community Center. There will be two workshops with varying degrees of difficulty based on age. Children will make kites that they can then bring up to the kite field, where kite-flying lessons will be available. An admission fee of $5.00 for Saturday’s workshops includes all materials.
The main event, an all-day outdoor fly on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., takes place on a hillside belonging to 200-year-old Glensfoot Farm, and provides “an amazing setting with glorious views.”
Events on the main field include precision team kite flying by Riders on the Wind, who will be presenting an aerial ballet performance set to music. The Running of the Boys is a fun racing event for both kids and adults. In addition, there will be a candy drop, a giant kite tunnel and, new this year, The Bubble Storm.
“The kite clubs, located on the right side of the field, will decorate the area with colorful flags, banners, tents and kites. The left side of the field is for attendees to fly their own kites, organizers said, including those made in the kite-building workshops, and kite-flying lessons will be available,” the press release continues. “Weather conditions will dictate the type and size of kites to be flown.
Admission is $5.00 per person, with parking included. Children under 10 are admitted free.”
There will also be vendors selling food, crafts, kites and locally made and grown products. There is no charge for participation by community and civic organizations, including churches.
The festival will conclude on Sunday morning with a pancake breakfast open to all from 7-11 a.m. at the Cherry Valley Firehouse.
To learn more about the Cherry Valley Kite Festival and ways in which to participate, visit https://www.cvartworks.org/kite-fest-copy.