Preview: Kites, Bikes, Trikes Family Festival

Look to the skies above Owls Head for some exciting action in all sorts of shapes and sizes on Saturday. It's also going to be great day for wheels on the ground.

The Kites, Bikes & Trikes Family Festival at Owls Head Transportation Museum is sure to appeal to kite-flying enthusiasts. An old runway offers plenty of space to fly kites and to watch the Nor'easters Kite Club members fly their amazing models.

"The special part of the Nor'easters Kite Club is that they build their own kites and some are immense and impressive. In years past, there was an enormous kite and they had to tether it to a car because it was so large it would have lifted someone off the ground. They have to be seen to be believed," says Ethan Yankura, education director at the museum.

But this event is not just about watching kites, it's about making and flying your own as well. A basic kite-making workshop will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to give people of all ages a chance to create flying art.

There are also several opportunities for kite building at the museum during this school vacation week. Kids can make kites at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Creativity abounds, with a special theme each day -- from diamonds to butterflies to snakes -- thanks to supplies donated by E.L. Spear hardware store.

Saturday is the day everyone will send their kites soaring.

"It is a culmination of all the kite building we've done all week," explains Yankura. But all kites, homemade or not, are welcome to share the skies at the festival.

Not all the action will be in the air. Yankura said there will be plenty of fun on the ground with your two wheels -- or three if that's you're style.

"We want to celebrate children's wheels," he says. "We focus on automobiles and airplanes all year and this is an opportunity to showcase a different set of wheels."

Visitors are encouraged to bring their bikes and trikes to ride on Runway 17 throughout the day. The no-longer-in-use runway is a safe, open space for family riding. A bicycle parade is planned for noon. Helmets are required for all riders.

Free bike safety checks will be offered as well.

The museum plans to break out antique bikes for a demonstration to showcase the sport's history.

The Kid's Corral, filled with pedal cars and planes, will be open for the youngest visitors to enjoy.

On the more whimsical end of the transportation theme, the Cardboard Contraption Contest is back for a second year at the festival. It involves making "some sort of vehicle" out of cardboard and a roll of tape. Those are the only materials allowed. Paints and markers to spice up your contraption are encouraged.

Teams of up to four people (any age) will have three hours to construct their contraption before the judging at 1 p.m.

Pre-registration for this contest is required, which means a simple phone call to the museum (594-4418) before the festival.

Yankura believes this event will be fun for everyone.

"The festival is an invitation to all to visit the museum and to take advantage of our safe, traffic-free facility to enjoy your bicycles."

KITES, BIKES & TRIKES FAMILY FESTIVAL
WHEN: Saturday, April 23
WHERE: Owls Head Transportation Museum
HOW MUCH: $10 adults, under 18 free
FOOD OPTIONS: Bring your own picnic lunch
PARKING: Museum parking lot
DON'T MISS: Nor'easters Kite Club's flying demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Great
BENEFITS: Proceeds benefit museum programs
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Kite flying is wind dependent but the event will only reschedule if there is rain. The rain date is April 24.
MORE INFO: www.ohtm.org

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram April 17, 2011