'Go fly a kite!': Frank Mots Int'l Kite Festival celebrates 44 years

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Considered as one of the best kite-flying parks in the country by those in the kite community, Milwaukee's Veterans Park provided the perfect spot for the 44th Frank Mots Int'l Kite Festival Saturday and Sunday.

"You're in the middle of a beautiful park, on Lake Michigan, the wind is starting to blow and we're flying kites," beamed event organizer Scott Fisher. "I love it."

Fisher has been a part of the event for over three decades, helping organize and bring in top-end kite flyers from across the nation and Canada. It's a responsibility the pilot and kite shop owner is grateful for.

"What brings me back is the fact that we can put smiles on so many faces out here," Fisher said. "People love to fly kites. I'm fascinated with anything that flies. I own Gift of Wings, the kite store right here in the park, so it's something that I just get a lot of pleasure out of."

Milwaukee's Paul Koepke has been flying sport kites since the 1980s. He's grateful for the dedication of people like Koepke who help keep events like the Frank Mots Int'l Kite Festival up in the air year after year.

"A great family event. It's for kids of all ages," Koepke said. "I'm well north of 60 and I still enjoy it."

He's happy to have a popular event and popular kite flying location so close to home.

"It's a lot of fun, especially when the wind is coming off the lake," Koepke explained. "This is one of the best flying fields in the Midwest."

Along with the highly skilled flyers who put on demonstrations throughout the weekend, kids and other amateur flyers were able to get flights in the sky. Fisher is hopeful the event and the activity will continue to grow.

"It's so much fun to see families come out, it's a free event, doesn't cost anything and to fly a kite is free, it just puts smiles on people's faces but it makes me feel good," Fisher said. "Go fly a kite!"