Maybe the secret isn't to hold a "Festival" for kite flyers but a public event like our "Kite Day" to welcome in Spring. This year we had horrendous winds over 25 MPH that would keep most people inside but the attendance at our little 4 hour event was estimated at 5,000 people in a community of 85,000. Not bad IMO. Better years have seen 10,000.
It's sponsored by a local shop who's owner was very much interested in kiting in the 1980's and named his business appropriately. Now kites are a very small part of his business but he continues to do Kite Day. He has gained the sponsorship of a local radio station and the city's sports and recreation dept. so he gets some unpaid advertising and the city has insurance in place for
public events in the city parks. Keyword PUBLIC, not kite enthusiasts only. Bob makes up buttons that are given to everyone who attends and gives away a kite each morning during the week prior over the radio station to 'caller number _ _' on his way to work.
People aren't invited to watch, they aren't held back by ropes, they are invited to
JOIN IN.
Newspaper article from this yearWe also get TV news coverage since 1/10 of the population is there it's big news.
Just a thought
