Enid to welcome back American Kitefliers Association national convention in 2015
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Kite Flying Events For The Public
Each day - 9 am-5 pm - Open fly. Bring your own kite and fly with professionals! Field behind Autry Tech.
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Monday, Sept. 28 - 6 pm - Banner parade, downtown square.
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Tuesday-Saturday - 1 pm - Mass Ascension. Watch as the convention goers release all of their kites at once. Each day will be a different style kite. Field behind Autry Tech.
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Tuesday-Saturday - 2-5 pm - Kite competitions, different each day. Fields behind Autry Tech.
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Tuesday, Sept. 29 - 10:30 am - Learn to fly Indoor Kites, Enid Event Center; 5:30 pm-7:30 pm, make your own kite, at Chick-fil-A; 7 pm, Indoor Kite Flying Competition, Enid Event Center.
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Friday, Oct. 2 - 1-5 pm - Kite demonstrations. Field behind Autry Tech.
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Saturday, Oct. 3 - 1-5 pm - Rokkaku battles and a 'mystery ballet.' Rokkaku battles are where people try to cut the lines of other kites. Mystery ballet is where people fly dual-line or quad-line kites to music they have not heard before. Field behind Autry Tech.
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Saturday, Oct. 3 - 4 pm - Make your own kite and see the mini-kite tour at the Enid Public Library, 120 W Maine.
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All public events at the AKA National Convention are free to attend.
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Food Truck Schedule for AKA Flying Field – 11:30am-2pm each day.
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Johan’s BBQ World, Tuesday Sept. 29th
Moody Q BBQ, Wednesday Sept. 30th
Max Dog Deli, Thursday Oct. 1st
Moody Q BBQ, Friday Oct. 2
Johan’s BBQ World, Saturday Oct. 3rd
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See the entire Kite Flying Schedule here
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The American Kitefliers Association (AKA) has announced that its 2015 national convention will return to Enid at the Enid Event Center and Convention Hall and at the flying field behind Autry Technology Center. The dates for the 38th annual AKA National Convention are September 28-October 4, 2015.
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The AKA Convention is an annual gathering of kite enthusiasts, artists, and competitors. The Convention ranks as one of the largest kite gatherings in the world. Convention activities include educational workshops, games, displays, and the Grand National kite competitions for kite making and sport kite flying. Committee and general business meetings are scheduled. Other highlights are the Great Kite Auction which offers unique and hard to get kite products and a retail FlyMarket for small vendors.
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The AKA held its 2012 national convention in Enid. AKA by-laws require its national convention be rotated every three years between locations on the east coast, west coast and central United States, meaning it will be returning to Enid at its first opportunity. The 2013 AKA convention was held in Portland, OR, while the 2014 convention recently concluded at Outer Banks, NC.
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AKA president Mel Hickman said the hospitality the group received in Enid in 2012 was a primary factor in returning to Enid.
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“We had a good time in 2012 and felt very welcome in Enid,” Hickman said. “It is nice to feel wanted and all the folks in Enid made it very plain that they wanted us to come back.”
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Visit Enid director Marcy Jarrett said it was a city-wide effort that made 2012 a successful convention, making it that much easier to recruit AKA to return to Enid in 2015.
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“The AKA was extremely impressed with how the City went out of its way to mark the flying field precisely to their specifications. And as the week went on, they liked the fact that more and more of the general public came to the field curious about kite flying,” Jarrett said.
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The 2012 AKA convention was held at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center, which has since been razed, and its indoor flying competition was held at the NOC-Enid baseball practice facility. This time, both aspects will be in one location, another detail the AKA found appealing when selecting its 2015 destination.
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“Enid Event Center and Convention Hall are thrilled at the opportunity to service the 2015 American Kitefliers Association for the first time in our new facilities,” general manager Keller Taylor said. “The event will utilize both buildings, including indoor flying in Enid Event Center, truly showcasing the flexibility of the spaces.”
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Highlighting each afternoon of the AKA convention is the Mass Ascension, where AKA members release their kites at once, filling the skies above Autry Technology Center with magnificent color. The public will be encouraged to attend each afternoon session.
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