On Sunday, Sept. 10, giant kites took to the skies at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, as the Hays Prairie Winds Kite Show featured some of the largest kites in the world.

The kites were brought to Hays by Great American Kites and Events. There was a variety of giant kites that included two stingrays, a multicolored jellyfish and a purple bear.

Residents were invited to attend and bring their own kites. Numerous people also brought coolers, chairs and various outdoor games. Food trucks lined the parking lot to feed the many participants in the day’s activities, and Sternberg Museum contributed to the day’s festivities as well by walking their tortoise through the crowds.

This event was set up by the Hays Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Director Melissa Dixon helped run the event throughout the day.

“[The highlight of the day] for me was when the first big kite got off the ground,” Dixon said.

While at first, the wind was not strong enough for the massive kites to take flight, they were able to lift off the ground later in the afternoon. The kites need wind speeds of about 10 miles per hour in order to fly. Unusually, the wind in Hays struggled to reach this speed for the first part of the day.

“They didn’t get to fly as many kites as they normally do because we didn’t have a lot of wind,” Dixon said.

Despite the slight wind predicament, Dixon said she was pleased with how the kite show turned out and plans to bring it back to Hays next year.

“It’s a fun time to play outdoors with your friends and family and see the biggest kites in the world,” Dixon said.

26ddixon@usd489.com