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For Immediate Release:
September 22, 2011

Media Contact:
Laura Phillips
[email protected]
305-755-7842



19th Annual Kitetober Fest at Haulover Park


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- 
Miami-Dade Parks' Haulover Park with its beautiful beachfront views and fresh ocean breezes is ideal for relaxing and enjoying some of life's simple pleasures with the family, like kite-flying. On Sunday, October 23, the skies over Haulover Park will be filled with kites of all shapes and sizes, as Miami-Dade Parks and Skyward Kites host the 19th annual Kitetober Fest. The event will take place from 12-5 p.m., and will feature kite-flying demonstrations, kite-making classes, and fun kite competitions for both children and adults of all skill levels, along with music, and food and beverages prepared by local gourmet food truck chefs. 

Spectators will also be treated to a colorful mix of wind chasers of the gargantuan variety, like a 100-foot squid, a 20-foot Nemo fish, and a 30-foot scuba man with a shark trailing behind him. The event attracts international and local kite enthusiasts displaying kite styles from such countries as Cuba, Haiti, Trinidad, China, Columbia, Peru, and Venezuela. More than 6,000 visitors attended last year's festival.

 "If you're just getting started with kiting, we encourage you to take advantage of our kite-building classes," said Dan Ward, event coordinator and owner of Skyward Kites, the long-time kite shop at Haulover Park. "Local kite-masters will be on hand to show you how to build a small kite and fly it."

Prize categories for the kite competitions run the gambit from the most unusual and the highest flying kites to the best homemade and the most traditional kites. 

"Anyone who wants to bring along a homemade kite to fly is also welcome," said Ward. "Kites will also be available for purchase starting at $5."

Event admission is free. There is no fee for the kite classes or competitions. Parking is $6. Haulover Park is located at 10800 Collins Ave.  For more information, contact Dan Ward at Skyward Kites. For directions and information about Miami-Dade Parks' Haulover Park, visit Miami-Dade Parks, or call 305-947-3525. 

About Skyward Kites:
The Skyward Kites shop has operated out of Haulover Park for nearly 19 years and boasts the largest selection of kites, windsocks and wind spinners in Miami, in all shapes and sizes, from diamonds and deltas to Para-foils and box varieties. They're open 364-days a year (Closed Christmas Day), from 10 a.m. till sunset, with free parking for kite shop patrons. The kite shop sells ice-cream treats and cold drinks, and offers kiting activities and birthday party packages year-round. Skyward Kites, a partner-vendor of Miami-Dade Parks, is just one example of the variety of programs and activities offered throughout the diverse Miami-Dade Parks system. 

About the Miami-Dade Park & Recreation Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 263 parks and more than 12,848 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade Parks call 3-1-1 or visit Miami-Dade Parks.

To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-365-6706.


 

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275 N.-W 2nd Street, 5th Floor Miami, Florida 33128
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