Saipan Tribune

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

Preparations underway for this year's kite festival

Kites will soar high Saipan skies next month as Brilliant Star School gears up to host the Marianas Winds Kite Festival.

The event is slated for March 17, Sunday, from 10am to 3pm at the American Memorial Park baseball field in Garapan.

Admission is free and everyone is invited to come fly their kite, said Brilliant Star School principal Richard Sikkel.

“It is a community event and our main purpose is to see as many families out flying kites and enjoying family time as possible,” Sikkel told Saipan Tribune.

Sikkel said the public will have the option to just fly their purchased or hand-made kites at the event or enter them in any of three various categories.

Interested contestants must fill out a registration form and pay a non-refundable registration fee of $5 per kite per contest category. Forms are available at Brilliant Star School in Navy Hill or may be downloaded at www.brilliantstarmontessori.org.

The Purchased Kite Contest Category is open to kites that were commercially purchased, either from Brilliant Star School or any store. Contestants who register in this category can vie for the Most Beautiful Kite and Largest Kite awards.

The Hand-Made Kite or Personalized Kite Category involves kites that were built by the owner or those kites that were purchased and were improved or altered by at least 50 percent from its original design. Under this category are three awards: Most Beautiful/Original Kite, Smallest Kite, and the new category called Green School Kite.

“For the green school kite category, we invite all schools to enter a handcrafted kite as a school or a class. The kite must be made by the students with minimal help from teachers/parents. It will be judged on originality in concept, design, construction, flight performance and the use of recycled materials,” explained Sikkel.

Both purchased and handmade kites can be entered in the “always popular” Highest Flying Kite category. All competing kites should have a minimum of 10 foot-kite string and with a minimum flight time of 5 minutes.

Sikkel said that Brilliant Star School has begun selling kites in different colors and designs that are priced between $4 and $20.

“Besides the kite flying, there will be food, fun activities, and a raffle to keep everyone entertained,” said Sikkel.

For more information, log on to www.brilliantstarmontessori.org or call 323-STAR (7827) from Monday to Friday between 8am to 3pm.