Great Lakes Kite Festival schedule

Fri, May 16, 2008    to del.icio.us

The 19th annual Great Lakes Kite Festival began this afternoon and continues through Sunday afternoon at the Grand Haven State Park beach.

The festival, organized by Mackinaw Kite & Toys in downtown Grand Haven, is a benefit for the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, which has an activities tent set up at the beach.

All of the festival's events are subject to change due to wind and weather conditions. The giant kites are expected be in the air all day, wind permitting.

Featured events:

— Main demonstration field with kite ballets: Performances run all day.

— Family Fun Tent: Filled with arts, crafts and games to entertain the kids and raise money for the Children's Leukemia Foundation.

— Moonwalk and inflatable obstacle course: Race through the course or just bounce around for a while.

— Manufacturers' test fields: Test fly the latest from some of the best names in kiting, including Prism and Revolution.

— Indoor fly at White Pines Middle School tonight.

— Night fly Saturday night on the beach.

— Fighter kite competition: Resembling a flying game of tag, competitors attack each other's kites to rack up the highest number of points.

— Open flying field : An open area where everyone has the ability to help decorate the sky with their own kites.

— Free kite seminars: A chance for anyone to get tips and advice from the pros.

Today

1 p.m. — Opening ceremony

1:15 — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

1:45 — Stunt kite ballet routines

2:15 — 90-foot Octopus and Trilobite launch

2:45 — Revolution quadline kite demos

3:15 — Stunt kite ballet routines

3:45 — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

4:30 — Mega Team stunt kite demonstrations

7-9 p.m. — Indoor kite competition at the White Pines Middle School gym

Saturday

10 a.m. — Fighter kite registration

10 — Revolution ballet

11 — 90-foot Octopus and Trilobite launch

11 — Stunt kite team and pairs ballet routines

11:30 — Family Fun Tent opens

Noon — Windjammers Kite Team

12:30 p.m. — Revolution Quadline Kite demonstration

1 — Grand ascension

1:10 — Chicago Fire demonstration

1:30 — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

2 — Windjammers Kite Team

2:30 — Chicago Fire National Championship Team demonstration

3 — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

3:30 — Fighter Kite demonstrations

4 — Stunt kite team and pairs demonstrations

4:45 — Mega Team stunt kite demonstrations

9-10:30 p.m. — Night fly on the beach

Sunday

10:45 a.m. — Opening ceremony

11 — 90-foot Octopus and Trilobite launch

11:30 — Stunt kite team and pairs ballet routines

Noon — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

12:30 p.m. — Revolution Quadline Kite demonstration

1 — Grand Ascension

1:30 — iQuad Revolution Kite Team

2 — Single line kite parade

2:30 — Chicago Fire National Championship Team demonstration

3 — Windjammers Kite Team

3:30 — Fighter Kite demonstrations

4 — Stunt kite team and pairs demonstrations

4:45 — Mega Team stunt kite demonstrations

5 — Closing ceremony