Excitement Soars As Harden Kite Festival Nears

IMAGE: Kite displays are going up everywhere, with cash for business winners, Day ride passes for residential winners and kites for all winners up for grabs. Completed colouring entries are already on display at the new offices of Ray White Rural Harden.

Excitement soars as the date for the annual Harden Kite Festival draws near.

As of Monday, September 18, two fundraising competitions kicked off across the region.

The Hilltops Kite Display Competition - Residential and Local Business and the Colour Competition.

Anyone, individual or business, can decorate a kite display on their window, door or fence before taking a photo and sending it to hardenkite@gmail.com for judging.

Displays are already up at the Harden Rock Gym, Ray White Rural Harden and Harden Murrumburrah Community Bank.

Prizes up for grabs include:

1st prize Residential - 2x Day Rides Passes plus a kite;
2nd prize Residential - 1x Day Rides Pass plus a kite;
1st prize Business - $150 cash plus a kite; and
2nd prize Business - $50 cash plus a kite.

Colour competition sheets can be collected from Ray White Rural Harden or directly via the website.

There are two designs to choose from - one for children and one for adults, and all entries need to be submitted by September 30 in time for judging on October 1.

Kite school workshops, with professional kite flyer Michael Richards from Coogee NSW, have been a huge success.

Mr Richards visited Coota Elouera Special School, Murringo Public School, Trinity Catholic College and Murrumburrah Public School, resulting in the creation of 305 kites ready for the Harden Kite Festival.

Another 294 students from Young Public School made their own kites at a workshop, with Southern Tablelands Arts giving them a little practical guidance.

This year’s workshops aligned well with the school’s Father’s Day celebrations.

One principal said kids and dads had a ball making and flying their kites.

She said she’d never seen so many kites flying for kids all at once, and so successfully.

The Southern Tablelands Arts will attend the official Harden Kite Festival on Saturday, October 7 from 10 am to 4 pm.