Kites Fly High Over Calaveras Saturday

“Pray for wind,” exclaimed kite master Roger Horne Saturday morning.

The weather was warm and sunny, but dead calm. Not even the slight bit of breeze. Not so great for kite flying. Horne, a serious kite flier, traveled all the way from Corpus Christi, Texas to fly his large acrobatic kites at the San Andreas Community Ballpark during the first annual Kites Over Calaveras Festival.

The prayers must have been heard. The winds did arrive and the kites at last floated and zipped skyward.

Kite masters from around the state did get to perform demonstrations for the crowd, and amateur kite-flyers got their store-bought and homemade creations off the ground too.

Event coordinator Donna Schantz explained there were contests throughout the day, with a special category for kites made from the Calaveras Enterprise newspaper.

Design, craftsmanship, and flight characteristics will all be considered in the contest. Dozens of kites of all shapes, sizes and colors accented the blue sky about San Andreas. Food and crafts booths were set up for browsing.

It used to be… telling someone to “go fly a kite” was a way of saying “get lost” or “go away.” But, in Calaveras County this weekend, it was a suggestion for family fun.