Zilker Kite Festival 2014
Here’s something you’ll really like! The Zilker Kite Festival 2014 is a seasonal favorite among Austinites. It happens this year on Sunday March 2nd and the festivities include Kite Contests with trophies and a wonderful marketplace with dozens of vendors and lots of food! And maybe best of all, you can join the fun and the contests for free!
So gather up the whole family and bring your kites cause there expecting lots of March winds!
There are several contests to enter and they are open to everybody. You will need a homemade single line kite for the contests because they won’t allow the manufactured kind. There’s no charge to compete and registration is between 11am and 2pm the day of the festival at the tables next to the sound booth. There will be trophies awarded for first, second and third place winners in both adult and children’s categories.
Zilker Kite Festival 2014
Sunday March 2nd
10am – 5:30pm
Zilker Park
Austin, Texas
driving directions and map
“The Kite Festival takes place in Zilker Park (2100 Barton Springs Road in Austin, TX 78704) on fields located between Barton Springs Road to the south and Lady Bird Lake to the north. A park road, Lou Neff Road, runs around the border of this area. These fields are now known as the “Great Lawn”. Zilker Park opened in 1936 and the 1937 maps calls this area the ‘Kite Flying Fields’ so there has been a long history of kite flying at Zilker.”
All event times are approximate and are dependent upon the wind.
10am
Festival opens
First shuttles arrive at the park
Concessions sales begin
11am
Kite Making workshop opens
Registration for Kite Contest opens
Kite Flying Demonstrations begins
1pm
Presentation of colors
Kite Contest starts
50 yard dash
Highest angle kite
Steadiest kite
Strongest pulling kites
Smallest kite
Most Unusual Kite
Largest Kite
Mass Kite Ascent (after contest)
2:30pm
Last shuttle bus leaves from parking areas
(be in line before 2:30)
5pm
Festival officially closes
5:30pm
Last shuttle bus leaves the park
The competition events are…
50 yard dash (Kids only) – Open to children between 7 and 12 years of age. Kites will fly on 50 feet of string – the string will be measured between 11am and 1pm before the contest. Contestants will race to the finish line while flying their kites. Winner must have their kite stay in the air for the whole race.
Highest Angle Kite (Youth and Adult) – Contestants will release 200 feet of string and stand on a designated line. The kite flying at the highest angle overhead from the point of mooring wins the competition. For example, a kite flying directly over your head would win. Highest angle kite event has Youth and Adult categories. Kite line will be measured and marked between 11am and 1pm on the kite competition field.
Steadiest Kite (with or without a tail) (Youth and Adult) – Winning kite is the least active kite in the air. Steadiest kite event has Youth and Adult categories.
Strongest Pulling Kite – Each kite’s pull will be measured in pounds.
Smallest Kite – Entries must fly on 25 feet of line and fly higher than the point of mooring. Kite line will be measured and marked between 11am and 1pm on the kite competition field.
Most Unusual Kite (Youth and Adult) – Entries are judged on theme, construction and design. Judges will look for odd, striking or novel features and shapes. Most Unusual Kite event has Youth and Adult categories.
Largest Kite – Square footage of the sail area will determine the largest kite. Kite Trains are not allowed. Kites must be capable of flying for one minute to qualify. Contestants are limited to three attempts in this event.
Oldest and Youngest Kite Fliers entered in the Kite Contest – Awards will be presented to the oldest and youngest event contestants. Contestants must fly a kite unassisted to be eligible for this award.
Kite Contest Rules:
- Kites entered in competition must be homemade, but not necessarily by the person flying them. Kites assembled from commercial kits will not be considered home made. Manufactured kites are not eligible for competition.
- Contestants may enter only one kite per event. However, they may enter every event using a different kite for each event. (Exception: Event #1 – 50 yard dash)
- Kites must fly to qualify for judging.
- Awards will be given to first, second and third place winners in each event. Judge decisions are final.
- Contestants must register before the contest and display their number at all times. Adults may assist children with their kites.
- “Youth Category” contest events are for kids up through 15 years of age. “Adult Category” contest events are for contestants 16 years and older.
Want to learn to make your own kite, check out the Zilker Kite Festival resources page.
There will be a marketplace during the festival with a large assortment of vendors such as; Abrakadoodle, Amy’s Ice Cream, American cuisine ( gluten-free vegetarian vegan), Arepas Venezuelan Grill, As Good As It Gets Concessions with Funnel Cakes, kettle Korn, lemonade, iced tea, sausage wraps and turkey legs, Austin American-Statesman, Bexar Catering with FunnelCakes, Foot long Corn Dogs, Ribbon Fries and Lemonade, Chilantro BBQ, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Colibri Cuisine, County Fair Catering, Creative Action, Crepe Crazy, Cricket Communications, Daily Juice, Facepainting, Tattoos & Crazy Hair, Funtastic Funnel Cakes, Henna Arts, Heros Gyros, Hill Country Kettle Korn, Hoops by Hullaba Loola, Isis Mobile wallet demonstrations, Jim and Lor’s Candy Store, Kebabalicious, La Fantabulous Taqueria, Lemonade Day Austin, Linda Chan, Longhorn Fried Rice, Maui Wowi Coffees & Smoothies, Mom & Pops All Natural Frozen Pops, NurturMe (Freed Foods Inc), Portable Adrenaline LLC, Rita’s Water Ice, Snowie shaved ice, Soroptimist Intl. of Austin, Taylor’s Seafood & Concessions, Texas Traditional Bar-B-Q, The Gardener’s Feast, The Peached Tortilla, Toy Joy, Verts, Wild Bills Olde Fashioned Soda, World Wind Kites and Zipcar.
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