Fair 46° F

Home > Archive > Apr 10, 2008

Flying High for Reading
By Elizabeth Brown
What better way to celebrate blue skies and pleasant spring breezes than by flying a kite?
Hundreds of Dixie-area residents plan to do just that at the annual Dixie Escalante Kite Festival, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at SunRiver St. George Golf Club. The festival is free of charge and open to the public.
This will be the ninth year for the festival, whose main purpose, according to a press release, is to promote and reward reading among youth. Students at local elementary schools have been working since January to complete their kite festival reading charts. Every child who turns in a completed chart at the festival will receive a free kite. As extra incentive, random drawings of the reading charts will result in additional prizes, such as Laser Mania passes and free iPods.
The Dixie Escalante Kite Festival, according to the press release, has become the St. George area’s largest reading-rewards program and the largest ongoing contributor to local schools. Any proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Foundation for Students of Washington County.
But schoolchildren are not the only ones who will enjoy the event.
“The Kite Festival is not just for little children,” Joe McKeehan, director of the festival, said. “It is for people of all ages and families, including retirees.”
Indeed, anyone who enjoys kite flying is invited to bring a kite and give it a try. For those who want to compete, judges will choose winners in many creative categories, such as best-decorated kite, highest-flying kite, oldest flyer, and most family members flying. Others who are not so competitive will come just to relax and revel in the color-filled sky and festive atmosphere.
In previous years, the kite festival was a Friday-Saturday event, according to the press release, but this year, all activities are scheduled for Saturday, culminating with a free evening concert and fireworks show. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day, coordinated by local singer Sherrie Reeder. At 7 p.m., radio station Planet 94.1 will conduct a Battle of the Planet Bands, with $500 to be awarded to the victor.
A big draw for younger children will be the many game booths set up for all ages, with prizes for every child. Inflatable bounce structures and a miniature train ride will be big hits as well. Families will also be able to enjoy great food provided by a variety of vendors. Students from Dixie State College have volunteered to work at the festival to help everything run smoothly.
At a separate event in conjunction with the kite festival, Planet 94.1 and Dixie Escalante will present a concert featuring Drake Bell, April 18, at Dixie State College’s Burns Arena. Like the kite festival, the concert will benefit local schools: $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Foundation for Students of Washington County.
Bell is an actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of Drake Parker on Nickelodeon’s “Josh and Drake,” for which he was recently awarded Favorite TV Actor and Favorite TV Show by the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. He is also a talented musician and has released two albums, “Telegraph,” and “It’s Only Time.”
“This is the first year we’ve done a concert with the kite festival,” Marty Lane, of Canyon Media Broadcasting, parent company of Planet 94.1, said. “We wanted to do a kid-type show that would provide good quality entertainment.”
Lane said his company would love to bring more family-friendly events to St. George, and he hopes residents will show their support for the Drake Bell concert. Many local businesses have contributed to cover the high cost of the event.
Sponsors of both the kite festival and the concert are pleased that their efforts will benefit Washington County students, through extracurricular reading and additional funding.
Whether you rock out on Friday or fly a kite on Saturday – or do both – your weekend fun can help contribute to our community’s children.

---