Joe McKeehan - Festival Director

Hello again.

At the time of writing this message the weather is nearly perfect! The days are warm and clear. Spring is just around the corner and it reminds me that the Kite Festival is nearly upon us. My memories easily drift back to past events where kites float lazily in the sky and children's happy faces are everywhere.

2009 attendance at the Kite Festival saw record numbers. We estimated over 26,000 people enjoyed the great entertainment, fabulous weather, good food and especially the kites that dotted the sky. The wind was a little light in the morning, but we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

Our hope this year is to have over 30,000 attendees. We will have twice as many vendors, a larger stage, more busses to shuttle attendees to and from the upper parking lot, another line-up of great entertainment including the Cadillacs A'Capella, and a terrific fireworks show to cap off the evening.

All of this, of course, is to reward those children and their families who have earnestly made an effort to read and encourage reading. That is what this event is all about. Children are our most valuable resource on this planet. They are our future. They will lead us and make decisions that impact their lives and their posterity. Reading is a very important and necessary part of their education. It can enhance and inspire not only our children but all of us. To start early and build a foundation of reading and comprehension is one of the most critical areas in which we can teach our children. This is not a responsibility that should be left to the education system. We, as parents and grandparents, need to make sure that this opportunity is not missed. It is critical that we encourage and help our children to read. It will pay you back ten-fold I promise.

I hope to see everyone on April 17th.

Take care,

Joe McKeehan