Come fly with me...
Soon you can look up at the sky and see a bright display of kites. You can even fly your own kites at the Eden Kitefliers Festival, which will take place in Sedgefield on the weekend of 21 and 22 October.
"The most important kite flier coming to the third Eden Kite Festival is…you!", says Keith Mould, kite maker, kite flier, truffle farmer and founder of this well-loved event. "It's a family festival, a chance for families to get out into the fresh air, be entertained and join in the fun, and look up at the kite spectacle rather than down at screens."
There will be kiters from Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Poland, England and the Netherlands, and local kite makers, Greg Mountjoy from Knysna and Barbara Mould from Sedgefield said they won't miss out on it for anything.
Opening concert
The festival takes place at Eden Lawns along the N2 in Sedgefield from 09:30 to 16:30 on Sunday 22 October. As an appetiser, Wendy Oldfield and LeRoy Botha will perform at an opening concert on Saturday 21 October. Bring your own chairs, blankets and picnic to enjoy the music and meet the mayor and the kite fliers under the stars! The concert starts at 16:30 at Masithandane's Octopus Garden under the Sea at the Scarab Market in Sedgefield. Tickets are limited and are available at Tourism and at Sotheby's offices.
The concert and the festival are in aid of Masithandane's bursary fund, which supports learners at school by providing basic necessities as well as transport to learners living in Sedgefield. (There is currently no public transport or a high school in Sedgefield.) Jacky Weaver of Masithandane says the festival is a major event on their calendar and a significant fundraiser.
Exciting programme
The programme is varied and will offer lots of interactive items to appeal to everybody. "A major highlight this year is an attempt to set a record for the biggest number of kites in the air at the same time," says Mould. "The sponsors of the event, Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, have made it possible for the public to buy festival kites at very reduced prices so that more people can join in this record attempt. There are 2 000 kites available and more than
5 000 people are expected to attend, so we encourage people to buy their kites before the festival. They're available at Tourism and all Sotheby's offices in Knysna and Sedgefield. While you are there, buy your entry tickets for the festival too - there'll be an express entry lane for ticket holders so you can avoid the queues at the entrance."
In the course of the day other exciting events will take place, such as dog agility displays, boeresport for the children and different kite-making workshops catering for young children, older children and adults. One workshop will be held by international kite maker Maarten van Hienen of Holland.
There are a number of events to participate in, including the "Running with the Bols",
The most important kite flier coming to the third Eden Kite Festival is…you!
a photographic competition with fabulous prizes open to all, and the firm favourite, the Team Kite Challenge (where you have a kite fight in the sky), is back. There will be up to 40 food and craft stalls. A new feature this year is a picnic area with chairs, tables and shade from where you can enjoy the show. Another first is that there will be a dedicated space for the public to fly their kites.
Executive Mayor of Knysna Eleanore Bouw-Spies will officially open the festival by launching a special kite to show that "Knysna Rises" after the devastating fires.
For more information, contact Keith
Mould on 083 679 4039 or at kmould@ mweb.co.za.