Annual Kite Festival takes flight

By Rachel Woodward, August 4 2016 —

Calgary skies will fill with kites come mid-August.

In an attempt to spark conversations for a new online community, Realzim eSociety will host Calgary’s innaugural Kite Festival on August 13 at Shaw Millennium Park.

Realzim eSociety is an online community and networking centre founded by Yogesh Srivastava with the intent to create a safer space to form connections online. The festival aims to foster connections in the same way.

“I feel that a kite festival is so apt to what we are doing, and what we are doing is creating an opportunity for people, businesses and leadership to get together in an open space to talk to each other,” Srivastava says. “A festival with kites brings people together from various ethnicities and all hierarchies in a open ground to give flight to their ideas.”

The festival was originally scheduled to occur during the Calgary Stampede this year, but was delayed due to poor weather.

A feature of the festival is the 300 kites that Realzim eSociety will distribute to attendees who register for their organization.

“We are hoping to make this a colourful evening, not only in terms of the kites but in terms of the people and the event,” says Srivastava.

Director of Global Network & Operations at Realzim eSociety Narjis Shahzad says the event will not only help engage the community in discussion, but will celebrate all that Calgary has to offer.

“It is a celebration of valuing culture and diversity in Calgary, and making it go from the best city in the world to the best city for the world,” she says.

Besides kite flying, the family-friendly festival will include face-painting, henna, food trucks and live music from local band Das Corazones. Kite flying demos and workshops will also be provided to attendees. Sravastiva says that the choice to fly kites is symbolic of larger goals to help grow ideas in the community.

“Flying a kite is almost like giving flight to your idea. To get it to lift up into the air, you have to be alert and cognizant so that it stays up there. It requires connectivity,” he says.

Sravastiva hopes to have a strong turnout of students at the event. He believes students hold power in online spaces and discussion.

“I do believe that students can be such an important driver or purposeful engagement because they have the enthusiasm. They are the enablers of positive change,” he says.

This year’s annual Calgary Kite Festival will occur on August 13 at Shaw Millenium Park at 2:00 p.m.

For more information, visit calgarykites.com