Mile High Kite Festival - Beech Mtn NC - Sept 5, 2011

Mile High Kite Festival at Beech

How much string does it take to fly a kite a mile high?

Only a couple hundred feet if you visit the ninth annual Mile High Kite Festival on Labor Day weekend atop Beech Mountain, NC.

This festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the town meadow, located above 5,000 feet in elevation.


Ample room is available for everyone to fly, plus there's a reserved field for demonstrations from the Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society (WACKOS) and the Richmond Air Force club from Richmond, Va.

Kite-flying music and announcing will be provided by Terry Murray of Kitebus Festivals. Meanwhile, prizes will be given for biggest kite, smallest kite and best-decorated kite.

Other activities include races with kids pulling parachute kites, face painting and a variety of craft and food vendors.

"We like to float the idea to come up and make a weekend of it," event organizer Calder Smoot said.

"There's a kite maker's competition Saturday judged by master kite builder Charlie Dunton and an all-ages street dance Saturday night in front of town hall. It makes for a great early fall weekend on Beech Mountain."

There's no admission charge to Saturday's street dance or Sunday's kite festival, and the first 300 children under age 12 receive a free kite on Sunday. Volunteers will be on hand with materials to help decorate the free kites, while vendors will have kites for sale.

For more information or lodging options, call (800) 468-5506 or visit www.BeechMtn.com.

Article by The Mountain Times Online

Mile High Kite Festival - Beech Mountain NC Sept 5, 2010

Mile High Kite Festival

Beech Mountain, NC

will be held on Sun,

Sept 5th 10am - 4pm

This will be the eighth year for the Mile High Kite Festival. The Richmond Air Force and the Charlotte WACKOS kite club will be partaking in the Festival. The 8th Annual Mile High Kite Festival is hosted by the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

There will be refreshments, and many vendors at the Kite Festival. Kids of all ages can come out and enjoy participating or watch the kites fly! There will be FREE kites for the first 200 kids. There will be prizes given out for the smallest and largest kites and best decorated kite.

On September 4th, there will be a kite workshop in the field across from town hall for those kids that want to learn how to make a kite. Also on Saturday evening from 7p.m. to 9p.m - 9/4/10. there will be a street dance for all ages to enjoy!

For more information please call the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce: (828) 387-9283 or (800) 468-5506

Photo from Town of Beech Mountain site

Mile High Kite Festival On Beech Mountain NC - Sept 5 - 6, 2009

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. Why not go fly a kite on Labor Day weekend?

The seventh annual Mile High Kite Festival will be held in the meadows at the top of Beech Mountain, the highest destination in the North Carolina mountains. The free event gives children of all ages an opportunity to fly a kite at an altitude of 1 mile above sea level.

Festivities get under way Saturday 9/5/09 with a clinic for kite makers from 2 to 4 p.m. Folks are encouraged to bring their homemade kites, and members of the kite clubs will be on hand to discuss the intricacies of kite building.

Two members of the Richmond Air Force kite club--Terry Murray and Will Smoot -- will serve as announcers for the Kite Festival on Sunday 9/6/09. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free kites will be given to the first 200 children younger than 12. There also will be kites for sale, and folks are welcome to bring their own. Other activities will include children's races and face painting, and there will be craft vendors.

Contests will be held for biggest, smallest and best-decorated kites. For more information, call (800) 468-5506 or visit http://www.beechmtn.com/.

Kite photo by wolfpix on flickr