Scene from a past Kite Festival. Courtesy/LAAC

Kite Kits are available 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Farmers Market. Courtesy/LAAC

LAAC News:

Los Alamos Arts Council and Fuller Lodge Art Center will host a Virtual Kite Festival this month.

Sponsored by New Mexico Consortium, the Virtual Kite Festival will allow the community to make kites at home, and fly at their leisure.

Kite Kits will be available 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday during the Farmers Market by Ashley Pond.

Kits will include almost everything needed to make a kite – the sail, the struts, and all the pieces to hold it together, as well as the bridle and fly line.

Included in the kit will be a form to reach the video that has been produced by PAC 8. The video contains instructions on how to build the kite, demonstrations on how to decorate the kite, kite safety and some fun and useful kite history.

Organizers thank their partners at  Fuller Lodge Art Center, Pajarito Environmental Education Center, especially Aimee Slaughter and Ian Price, and Los Alamos Historical Society for helping make the videos.

The only thing not included is a one-hole punch needed for securing the bridle to the kite. LAAC also will have a limited number of DVDs available for those without an internet connection.

The first 80 visitors to the booth at the Farmers Market will receive a special gift, to help with the creativity of kite building and decoration. This unique gift was made possible by donor Howard Granzow.

After kites are built and decorated, Los Alamos Arts Council wants to see participants’ designs! Send pictures of kites to laarts@rt66.com or post them to social media on the LAAC Facebook and Instagram pages with the hashtag #2020LosAlamosKiteFestival. LAAC will collect photos to show off all the work the community has put into their art.

The weather for the next few days looks perfect for kite flying. Kits are limited, so come pick up a kit on Thursday, and this weekend, the community can all “Go Fly a Kite!”

The Los Alamos Arts Council, a 501c3 non-profit corporation and public charity that, for 50 years, has supported creative arts activities in Los Alamos. For more information, visit www.losalamosartscouncil.org, or call 505.663.0477.

Scene from a past Kite Festival. Courtesy/LAAC