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Kites fly despite rainy, chilly weather
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
Kite Festival
Gallery
Local residents gather at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm in Canfield for a Kite Festival despite rain and cooler weather.
CANFIELD
A variety of kites brightened the mostly gray skies over Mill Creek MetroParks Farm on Saturday.
In spite of rain sprinkles and chilly weather, people came out for the park’s Kite Festival. Participants could bring their own kite or make one for a small fee. Members of the Ohio Society for the Elevation of Kites were on hand to demonstrate kite-flying tricks.
“It’s an all-day celebration of kites, and flying kites and enjoying the spring weather,” said Carol Vigorito, recreation and education manager for the park. “It’s just a fun day to enjoy coming out and flying a kite.”
Molly Bianco of Canfield brought her daughters Anabel, 6, and Olivia, 4, to the event for the first time.
“They love kites,” Bianco said. “I just thought it was great that you can come, make your own kite, and then fly them.”
Anabel decorated her kite with hearts, while Olivia used markers to draw a train on hers.
“I got a new [kite] from Easter morning,” Olivia said. “My new one is princess and my sister’s one is Barbie.”
Before heading into McMahon Hall to make kites, the family saw some in the field outside.
“I saw a big blue one on the grass,” Olivia said. “I think they won’t [get it to fly] because that’s too big and the wind is not very strong.”
She was confident hers would fly, though.
“It’s just a wonderful event,” Molly said.
Alex Yuhasz and Morgan Evans, both 9, made their own kites, too. They were inspired by the farm itself. After visiting the animals, Evans drew a goat on her kite, and Yuhasz added a cow and a sheep to hers.
“We’ve never been here before, and they like to fly kites, so we wanted to try it,” Yuhasz’s mom, Lorie Yuhasz of Boardman, said.
They enjoyed the opportunity to make kites.
“They fly really cool,” Lorie said.
They all agreed attending was worth it, even though they were flying kites in the rain.
“There’s a lot of room even though there’s a lot of people here, and there’s a lot to do, so it’s really nice,” Lorie said.
The group enjoyed watching the kite-flying antics of the OSEK members, and it inspired them to try it for themselves.
“We were watching them; they were doing tricks, going in circles,” Lorie said. “It was really cool.”
Morgan said her kite did tricks.
“It was going in circles,” she said.
Also included in the festival were kite-flying contests, trolley rides, and kite displays.
The event takes place every other year.