Lighted Kite Festival

This coming Saturday and Sunday, the 30th & 31st of August, Two Rivers, Wisconsin is having its annual kite festival. Saturday night features lighted kites and this year my son and I will assist by spot lighting the sky show with our HIDs.

This growing annual event is held on the huge, clean, groomed, sugar sand beach on Lake Michigan's shore in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. We jut out several miles into the lake, next to Point Beach State Forrest and have good wind most of the time.

Chow Chong, proprietor of the local UFO (Unique Flying Objects) Shop is the originator and heavy lifter for this growing event. Very expensive, large, kites and their owners are here from all over the USA.

Sound like a real good time. Wish I was a little closer.

There's a festival in NC on Jockey's Ridge in the Outer Banks the end of November every year called Kites with Lights. The equivalent of your event, but it's pretty awesome on the Ridge.

I got started in LED lighting interest developing lights for stunt kites to extend flying time into evening hours. The challenge was weight. Lights for kites already existed, but were too heavy for serious flying. I prototyped a few, but they were too labor intensive to mass produce.

Enjoy the event. Stunt kiting is still my favorite hobby. I just don't get to fly much anymore. Take some pictures and post them for us.

That sounds like it will be a blast to show off your HID's spotting the kites. What HID lights will you be using?

We'll be using an Amondotek and the huge "Chicago Tools" spotlights. They seem to light up somewhat reflective objects about 1/2 mile away.

jayflash said:

We'll be using an Amondotek and the huge "Chicago Tools" spotlights. They seem to light up somewhat reflective objects about 1/2 mile away.

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HID spotlights do give amazing throw.:thumbsup: I have the "Power On Board" HID spotlight, it easily lights objects over 1/2 a mile away. The big Chicago Tools "Harbor Freight" HID has even more throw than the Power On Board.

Try this link to see night and daytime shots of Two Rivers' 3rd Annual Kites Over Lake Michigan festival. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/

The Chicago Tools HID threw a good spot to highlight kites about a quarter mile distant. The Amondotech HID's broader beam was use to light groups of kites and the flag banners along the shore line.

The two lights ran continuously for about an hour +. The 12v SLA batteries are 3 - 4 years old, but topped off every 3 - 4 months.