July 20th, 2024Dean to stage fund-raising kite fest
Life is looking up as Dean gets set to stage its annual kite festival.
The little locality between Daylesford and Ballarat loves its colourful annual kite festival that transforms the recreation reserve while raising dollars for good community deeds.
The Dean Kite Festival happens Sunday, September 1, Fathers Day, and it’s a great family day out, says Dean Recreation Reserve Committee president Brian Maher.
“It’s been going for 11 years now and we have Jo Baker of Kites 4 Kids who brings her entourage. Jo and her husband are from Melbourne and they travel around the world doing this,” Brian says.
Jo has the enviable job description of kite educator, kite flier, kite builder and 2005 world kite flying champion.
She started Kites 4 Kids in November 1995 and has since been running kite-making workshops in schools, school holiday programs, after-school activities, community events and internationally in places like Guam (USA), Kuwait, Thailand, Bali, China and India.
“We don’t have a gate fee for the festival, but for $10 kids do their own kite design and then Jo supplies all the materials and they turn the design into a kite that the kids can then get to fly,” Brian says.
“People also bring their own kites with them and we get some very large kites in all types of designs. We had 300 to 400 people last year.”
Brian reckons it’s pretty much the perfect affordable family day out, with an all-day barbecqe, tea, coffee and home-made cakes available for purchase, and raffle prizes to win.
The kite festival is one of two major fundraising community events held on the Dean Recreation Reserve annually with the other being the Dean and District Sheepdog Trials, also known as the Old Sniff Classic.
Set for Sunday, October 13 this year, the Old Sniff Classic has become a firm favourites on the calendar of competitors and spectators alike, attracting many top dogs to the pretty little reserve oval.
As with the kite festival, there’s no gate admission fee for the Old Sniff, but Brian says donations are gratefully accepted and all go to great community causes.
Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Contributed
