OCEAN PINES—The skies above the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial Park on Route 589 will be festooned with kites on Saturday, provided the wind cooperates.

For the second year, the Ocean Pines Recreational Department will host a kite-flying event in the clearing in front of the Sports Core and the South Gate. Renamed Family Fun Fly this year, the event was previously dubbed Kite Day, said Recreation Supervisor Vicki Magin. It is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Recreational Director Sonya Bounds developed the event to help promote the community’s recreational programs and to draw attention to the fact that, like the one on Saturday, all of the department’s programs are open to the public, according to Magin.

Jay Knerr, owner of the Kite Loft, and kite enthusiasts from the Ocean City Sunfest, will be on hand to demonstrate several specialty kites.

“It is a pastime that everyone can enjoy. It is very therapeutic, a great family activity,” he said.

Knerr says he has been a fan of kite flying since childhood and was glad to participate when he received a call from the department to help with last year’s event.

“We flew some kites, but the wind didn’t cooperate, so we are hoping for better wind this year,” he said.

The ideal wind conditions would include speeds of at least 5 miles per hour, which according to Knerr the Ocean Pines area can easily get.

Knerr will have free “frustration-less flyer” kite kits available for the first 100 children to color and easily assemble. He will also have ready-to-fly kites for sale, from his locations at Fifth Street on the Ocean City Boardwalk and at Town Center on 67 Street.

If the wind really cooperates, Knerr said, there will be a series of demonstrations, including 2- or 4-line kites. The dual, or 2-line, sport kite allows the handler to perform aerial loops. The dual line, one line in each hand, allows the handler to control everything the kite does—sort of like an inverted marionette.

“It is very interactive,” he said.

The 4 –line quad kites have two handles with two lines attached to the ends of each handle, which also allows the kite to be stopped and put in reverse. One top-of-the-line brand of quad kite that will be on display, the Revolution Kite, allows for precision landings. Knerr called it “the ultimate precision kite.”

Magin said last year the kite day attracted several hundred participants. This year she said organizers are also expecting a full field. No experience is necessary to enjoy this free, fun event, she said while also inviting people to bring their own kite if they have one.

Other activities will include music by DJ Rupe; free boomerang decorating and sand art events; question and answer sessions with kite designers and experts; and contests for the highest flying, unique and people’s choice kites.

Department staff will on hand to help with kite assembly, but parental assistance, especially for small children, is recommended, Magin said.

New this year, she added, will be a misting tent where participants can stop in to cool off. That summertime favorite, sno-cones, will be available for sale.

Knerr encouraged families to “Bring a picnic basket and blanket and enjoy the day.” 

“We are excited about the day. We always enjoy these kinds of events,” he said.