SPI Kite Fest colors the Island sky

The sky over South Padre Island will be filled with color this weekend as kite flyers from the United States and Canada launch their airborne displays.
Awarded Kite Festival of the Year by Kite Trade Association International last year, the 12th Annual SPI Kite Fest will be staged on the flats just north of the South Padre Island Convention Centre on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bill and Susie Doan of B&S Kites sponsored the first Kite Fest as a simple “fun fly” and it has grown into one of the most attended kite festivals in the country.
Returning for his sixth year in a row will be John Barresi from Portland, Ore. Barresi is a national quad-line and dual-line kite champion and the leader of the kite team – iQuad. He has traveled the world entertaining audiences with his kite flying skills and innovative performances.
Accompanying Barresi this year will be teammates David Hathaway, Steve de Rooy, Barry “Bazzer” Poulter, Willow Demers and TK Barresi.
Other teams scheduled to perform this year are Team EO: from Austin, as well as special performances by local Team SPI.
As well as the kite flying displays and performances, there will be a silent auction going on throughout the event. And a visit to the festival is not complete without stopping by the main tent and registering for the free kite giveaways.
Food will be available for purchase from the Laguna Madre Christian Academy and the Port Isabel Masonic Lodge No. 33.
Other festival activities this year include a Rev Clinic with Team iQuad on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee for this clinic is $40 per person. On Friday evening, there will be an indoor kite fly at the convention centre 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets for this performance are $5 per person.
On Saturday evening following the festival, there will be a banquet and live auction held at Isla Grand Beach Resort from 6:30-9 p.m. Banquet tickets are $15 per person. Advance registration is recommended for each of the special events.
For more information contact B&S Kites at 956-761-1248, by email at bskites@hotmail.com or visit the 12th Annual SPI Kite Fest on Facebook.