Ripples of color rise to the sky as children and adults fly kites this Labor Day weekend.
The 13th annual Mile High Kite & Craft Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6, in the Beech Mountain town meadow. This year marks the first time the festival has spanned two days and craft vendors have been added.
Each day the festival has a public area for open kite flying and space for demonstrations by kite club members. Because Beech Mountain sits at more than 5,000 feet in elevation, the kites soar to heights exceeding one mile above sea level and kite-flying participants receive an official certificate from Beech Mountain mayor Rick Owen that states, “I flew a kite a mile high on Beech Mountain.”
The children’s fun zone offers an array of games and activities. The first 150 kids (12 and younger) each day receive a free kite. Kites will also be for sale, and an assortment of food and craft vendors will be present.
Prizes will be awarded Sunday for the biggest kite, smallest kite and best-decorated kite. As an added bonus, a four-pack of tickets will be given away each day to Beech Mountain’s Autumn at Oz celebration, which sells out each October.
The Mile High Kite & Craft Festival is sponsored by the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Richmond Air Force kite club and the Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society (WACKOS) from Charlotte.
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and admission is free. Also on Saturday, an all-ages street dance takes place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“It’s a great weekend to spend time together as a family in Beech Mountain,” says event organizer Dottie Moretz of the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce. “In addition to the music and activities at the festival, there’s the all-ages street dance Saturday night and scenic chairlift rides all weekend.”
For festival information or lodging, call (800) 468-5506 or visit: www.BeechMtn.com.
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