LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KOAA) — For Denver local Coltin Wilde, flying kites is less of a hobby and more of a pursuit; if the wind is just so, this avid collector can be found populating the skies of public parks with kites that range in size from just a couple of feet across to those that measure more than 40 feet in length.
"I started kites when I was pretty young," commented Wilde, "came from a big family, so we were stretching our dollars. Parents had some kites for us. It was something free. We always brought a picnic out to the park, and that was kind of the start of getting into kites."
Since he was first introduced to the wide world of wind-catching contraptions, Wilde has amassed quite the collection of kites, "I've got a lot, if you think about what a lot is and add a lot on top of that, that's probably closer to what I have."
It's the type of collection that doesn't gather dust.
"One of the things that I absolutely love, which is, I would say, even more enjoyment than what I enjoy, is when I fly a kite and it just slows down [a] park for a little bit," said Wilde.
It's that sort of interaction that Wilde hopes to bring to the town of San Luis; this past year, he purchased some property in the valley and wondered about what he could contribute to the area.
The answer he landed upon (unsurprisingly) involved flying kites.
"It's just been a big part of my life, and I have just enjoyed kites so much when I go to the festivals, and I always thought it would be cool to start a brand new festival."
So he made some calls, and pitched his idea to the town of San Luis, "...and we're all in. Town's in. I'm in. Hopefully we'll put on a good show and everybody will have a good time."
Coltin's plan is to bring down a large number of kites and put on quite the sky-bound spectacular; of course, any and all guests are welcomed (and encouraged) to bring and fly their own kites as well.
Town government has set the kite festival for June 6th at the baseball field on the east side of San Luis and plans to host vendors, food trucks, live music, kite flying (of course), and even a community softball game.
"We'll do our best," added Coltin, "and hopefully year after year, if we keep on doing this, we'll have some good years, and I'm sure we'll have some where maybe the wind's a little too much or not enough, but we're all going to have a good time no matter what, because we're together."
For additional information and updates regarding the upcoming festival in San Luis, click here.
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