OCTC Hosts Uttarayan Kite Festival

Owensboro Community amp; Technical Colleges (OCTC) Common Reading program will host a Uttarayan Kite Festival on Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the main campus of OCTC located at 4800 New Hartford Road in Owensboro, Kentucky. A limited number of tickets for a free kite are available at the OCTC Library front desk until May 2, 2014. There will be Indian kites, string spools, and snacks available for purchase, or you may bring your own kite to participate.

$4 (20) Kites per Pack
$7 1000 yards dori/string with spool
$7 500 yards dori/string with spool
$4 Breakfast/Brunch plate
$6 Dinner plate
.50 Soft Drinks $ 0.50

As a finale to OCTC Common Reading year-long celebration of the culture of India, this colorful event wraps up an adventure which began in the fall of 2013, as the campus read Jhumpa Lahiris The Namesake. This event is free and open to the public. Parking at OCTC is free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. A tentative rain date has been set as May 24, 2014. For more information please contact, Kaye Brown via e-mail at kaye.brown@kctcs.edu or by calling (270) 686-4587.

Background: The International Kite Festival (Uttarayan) is regarded as one of the biggest festivals. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival. The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching, which is called Makar Sankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest days in India. Many cities organize kite competitions. In the region Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday in India.