The 9th annual Mary H. Herron Memorial Kite Festival will be held on Saturday, April 8th

A kite fest attendee proudly holds up her kite

Idabel, OK (March 21, 2017)— The festival will take place at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, 1000 NW Haskell Pl., Idabel, from 10:00 am 3:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Kevin Green, a local kite enthusiast, will help lead a kite building workshop from 10:00 am to noon for parents and children. Participants can fly their newly-made kites after lunch, from 1:00 to 3:00. The afternoon session will be canceled in the event of rain.

This one day celebration is sponsored by the Idabel Minority Action Committee (IMAC) and the Museum of the Red River. The festival was founded by Mary H. Herron, a former Museum Director, Curator and avid kite-flyer. It is one of the Museum’s more popular events, with last year’s festival attracting around 80 attendees. Christina Eastep, Curatorial Assistant said “the level of parent participation and support continues to amaze me.”

Kites have a long and varied history that stretches back to at least 400 BC in China. Kites have been used for military and scientific purposes as well as entertainment, art and fishing. They continue to be popular across the world—particularly in parts of Asia and South America. Hundreds of local and international kite festivals are held each year, especially in the Spring.

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