Flying Above Zilker Park - ABC Kite Fest 2024
Giant squids and hundreds of fluttering butterflies dotted the windy skies of Austin last Sunday. The 96th annual ABC Kite Festival took place at Zilker Park, this time with new competitions, attractions and much larger kites.
“The last 10 years have demonstrated, time and again, that the ABC Kite Fest is an irreplaceable part of Austin’s culture,” said Bobby Jenkins, CEO and owner of ABC Home & Commercial Services.
What started in 1929 by the Exchange Club of Austin as a humble kite contest has flourished and grown into a sprawling festival that draws visitors from all over Texas. In addition to the usual all-ages kite competitions and showcases, this year’s festival partnered with Mini Market, a pop-up market of women-owned small businesses. According to Emma Chase, a communications associate for the event, keeping the festival free and adding new amenities each year are major priorities for ABC Home & Commercial Services.
“We spent a lot of time this year looking for sponsors and trying to make the festival as accessible as possible,” Chase said. “The kids always seem to have a great time, but we want everyone to feel welcome here, too.”
In one direction, an array of food trucks and concession stands line the horizon. When visitors are done grabbing a turkey leg or snow cone, both new and seasoned flyers could go explore the attractions littered throughout the park. The Kids Club and the MossFest concert offered entertainment for little kite-aficionados, and the “Go Big Or Go Home” flying group displayed a showcase of giant kites for all to marvel at.
“My favorite one was the huge astronaut,” said Briana Taylor, a 9-year-old kite flier. “Mine was pretty cool too, though, because I made it.”
Like Taylor’s small paper kite resembling a fish, many of the kites in the sky were made by children. Chase said the festival was originally started by non-profit, Friends of the ABC Kite Fest, and is meant to foster creativity and that this continues to be one of their primary focuses. Chase said they were elated at the turnout this year.
“There were smiling children everywhere you looked and adults running with their kites like they were children themselves,” Chase said. “It really felt like a beautiful community moment and I think most people were able to find an activity there that was right for them.”
If you missed the festival this year, don’t worry, it won’t be going anywhere. The ABC Kite Fest is one of the country’s longest-running festivals of its kind. Jenkins said that ABC wants to continue to evolve the event and keep it running for as long as possible.
“ABC has had the opportunity to maintain this Austin tradition for nearly a decade, offering Austinites of all ages the opportunity to enjoy family-friendly activities while we fill the skyline with colorful kites,” Jenkins said.
So, pick up some supplies and start making your own kite. Maybe by next spring, your kite will be the one winning the first-place prize.
Photography by Braden Millikin