SHIPSHEWANA —
Look at what’s going up. Look at what’s coming down — and then, perhaps, eat it.
Those are two of many entertainment options available Saturday in Shipshewana.
Organizers are hoping the weather cooperates for the Kite Komotion Clinic and Festival. The free event is set from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Shipshewana Town Center/Hostetler Hudson Auto Museum, 720 S. Van Buren St. Professional and amateur kite-flying will highlight the festival. Also on tap will be two candy drops.
“There’s, like, $200 worth of candy,” said Michelle Myers, program coordinator with LaGrange Communities Youth Centers Inc. “There’s going to be some massive candy dropped.”
A kite will lift a bag of candy into the air. Via remote control the candy will be released from the bag. Gravity, and children scrambling in a field after treats, will do their parts.
Staffers with LCYC and Head Over Heels, the latter a local outdoor apparel business, are organizing the event for the second year in a row.
“It really fits with our mission to bring positive, free activities to the community,” Myers said of LCYC’s involvement.
Myers said organizers last year were hoping 300 to 500 people would attend the Komotion. Roughly 2,000 people showed up. This year, Myers is also hoping for a strong turnout — and that the people who attend don’t get rained on. There’s a 40 percent chance of showers in Shipshe Saturday, according to The Weather Channel website.
Myers recalled that the weather at the 2011 was a bit too windy; handlers of some bigger kites have trouble maneuvering in those conditions.
“We were worried about too much wind,” she said. “Now we’re worried about having rain.”
What to expect
Weather permitting, kite teams The Windjammers, Blues Brothers and Fire and Ice will perform kite stunts and maneuvers in the “Demo Field.” Dave Bush, billed as “Mr. Incredible,” will fly the world’s largest production dual-line kite.
Members of the Hoosier Kiteflyers Society will be on hand to help children build their own kites. Kite materials will be provided free of charge.
At the “Learn to Fly” field, attendees will have the opportunity to try stunt kite-flying. Also, people are invited to bring their own kites to fly in the “Family Fly Field,” where children can try out their newly-built kites.
Organizers say kite aficionados will display unusual kite collections on the “Eye Candy” field.
Clark Shute will be on hand for the festivities Saturday. It won’t be his first “Komotion,” nor his first time around kites.
Shute is president of the Hoosier Kiteflyers Society, a group focused on kite safety, education and history. His father was an engineer who was enthralled with kiting, and Shute recalls him flying kites on the farm where they lived.
Shute will turn 60 this year. On Saturday, members of his group will share their enthusiasm and knowledge with budding kite enthusiasts.
The Hoosier Kiteflyers Society is a diverse bunch, according Shute, who pointed out that the club at one point had a 100-year-old member.
“We have a member in Africa,” he said. “And we send out a newsletter to Japan.”
Closer to home, Myers said she’s been pleasantly surprised by the feedback she’s heard from the community about the Kite Komotion.
“I guess it’s just something different you can go do — adults, kids, families, whatever — for free,” Myers said. “Those opportunities don’t come around a lot.”
Entertainment
Related Photos
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Philip Gowell, 6, of Paw Paw, Mich., receives assistance getting his kite up in the air from his grandmother Diane during last year’s “Kite Komotion” in Shipshewana. JUSTIN CRIPE | The Goshen News
Flying high in Shipshe
Second annual 'Kite Komotion' Saturday
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