Rigby kite festival hopes to lift spirits this Saturday

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) - Kids of all ages are taking to the skies this weekend as the "Just For Fun" Kite Festival soars into Rigby.

The community is excited to host the 21st annual event after not being able to last year because of the pandemic.

The festival has an even more special meaning this year as it looks to lift the spirits of a community recovering from the shock of last week's school shooting.

Organizers hope these kites will help people release some of their concerns and just for a few hours fly away with their kites.

"Kites are relaxing to fly and if these kids can come over and make one of these little kites and we're going to have a booth set up where they can color on them, or write on them, write their troubles and worries down and fly them off into space, run around and have just a ball and get their troubles worked out of their systems. So, we just think it will be fun for these kids," organizer Dean Turnblom said.

Turnblom knows what he's talking about, his daughter Krista is the teacher at Rigby Middle School that is credited with stopping the school shooting last week.

"That's a tough one because it's pretty hard to have your daughter call you up and say I was just in a thing and this is what happened and I'm still alive,” Turnblom said. “She didn't shoot me and you just go holy cow, you know, she could have been shot.  You know, so it's kind of a scary thing to think about. But then as soon as that event is over and in the past, then it's time to move forward again, and we were thinking you know what can we do for this, and that's why we have decided to make these little kites.

But making all those kites takes lots of help and he's got just the guys for the job. By Saturday, they will be ready to turn sticks, plastic and  string into something magical.

“We are going to learn how to make these kites so we can give them to the kids,” said Justin Bake as we built a kite. “They will probably love it. Lots of exercise.”

Turnblom has been passionate about kites since he started building them as a kid, but he says it’s not just kids that enjoy the fun.

"If you are breathing air you should come and fly a kite. I've never yet met anyone that didn't enjoy the kite once they got it up in the air and flying, they just love it. So it's for anybody and everybody." said Turnblom.

The "Just For Fun" Kite Festival will be held at Rigby High School on Saturday, May 15. It will start at 12 p.m. and run until about 5 p.m.

There will be free kites for the kids to make, as well as kites for sale. Organizers say feel free to bring your own kite.