We had a blast on Saturday, June 29 for the seventh annual Fly A Kite Fest! Over 4,000 people joined us at Arnie Wolff Sports Complex for a fun day in the sun. The wind wasn’t always on our side, but when the right breezes blew, friends and families alike were able to enjoy some colorful sights.
Volunteers in purple t-shirts arrived bright and early to help get set up. The soccer fields had some muddy spots from a recent rainfall, and the dew on the grass had started to evaporate in a humid mist. That didn’t stop the volunteers, though! They set up the final tents, carried chairs, tables, & other supplies, and set up signs and banners. Soon, sponsors arrived with fun kids’ activities. Feeding America set up a finger painting project, Mad Whimsy set up a henna booth, and Sash & Bow brought a photo booth. Kids also enjoyed a bone dig from Wyss Family Clinic and a demonstration from Herb Blue’s Total Self Defense.
In a nearby soccer field, the Wisconsin Kiters Club set up a BOLS race. The idea is simple: kids could run from one end of a soccer field to the other, then run back to where they started. The catch? First, they attached a giant parachute to their back. Kids enjoyed racing against their siblings, their friends, and their own best times as they sped across the turf. Some adults even joined in!
In the afternoon, a group of familiar faces came together for the Celebrity Running of the BOLS. State Representative Andre Jacque, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, Meteorologist Phil DeCastro, and Miss Green Bay Area 2019, Kaylee Vermeern came together to run like the wind—with quite a bit of wind resistance. Congrats to Kaylee Vermeern (aka Miss Green Bay) for winning the race!
Throughout the afternoon, kids gathered for three exciting candy drops. Each time, a giant kite holding lots of candy soared overhead and dropped candy down for kids to pick up and take home. Once, there wasn’t enough time to get the huge candy-laden kite off the ground. Luckily, we came prepared; giant t-shirt launchers tossed candy into the air, instead!
Free candy wasn’t the only thing available to eat at Fly A Kite Fest. Our concessions stand kept busy selling cookout food and sweet treats. It was a hot day, so we sold plenty of waters, sodas, juice boxes, and snow cones.
Across the field, we also sold t-shirts and envelopes. Why envelopes? They were a part of our envelope game. Local businesses donated gift certificates and other prizes. We then filled thousands of envelopes and mixed them together. Half of all of the envelopes had a prize in them.
Of course, what is Fly A Kite Fest without Kites? We thank the Wisconsin Kiters Club for their incredible contributions. Their members brought plenty of kites to guide through the air. Although the extra-large kites never gathered enough wind to get off of the ground, the coordinated stunt kites danced to music in a coordinated kite ballet. The Kiters also provided supplies for children to make their very own kites in our Kids’ Activities tent. Overall, over 4,000 families and 90 volunteers came together for a fun day in the summer sun!
Our Sponsors
Kite Fest would not be possible without our incredible sponsors!
Wisconsin Kiters Club
Fox Communities Credit Union
Nicolet National Bank
Green Bay City Parks
Lamar Outdoor Advertising
Holiday Inn Stadium
Insight Creative, Inc.
Star 98
Moneysaver Magazine
Mad Whimsy
HJ Martin
Wisconsin Public Service Foundation
Baycare
Pomp’s Tire
Humana
Wyss Family Clinic of Chiropractic
Festival Foods
Princess My Party
The English Inn
Country Inn and Suites
Women Magazine
Wanezek, Jaekels, Daul and Babcock, S.C
Banker’s Advertising
Brown County Sheriff’s Department
KerberRose
Wipfli
Advanced Disposal
ERC
First Presbyterian Church
LP Mooradian
Sash and Bow
Go Valley Kids