Let’s go fly a kite: Festival rewards high-flying kid readers

ST. GEORGE — St. George families gathered at Dixie State University on Saturday for the 22nd annual Dixie Power Kite Festival. 

Kids play at the carnival at the Dixie Power Kite Festival in St. George, Utah, April 17, 2021 | Photo by Megan Webber, St. George News

The purpose of the festival is to reward Washington County elementary students for their reading efforts and encourage families to have fun in the sunshine. Every K-5 student in the district gets a reading chart in January that they can bring to the festival. Each student who hands in a completed chart gets to choose either a kite or a book to take home, director Rick Schofield told St. George News. 

In addition to the kite-flying and book booths, the festival featured 80 food and crafts vendors, a kids’ carnival and an all-day entertainment lineup featuring local youth dance troupes and performances. The school district foundation also sold books for $1 for home or classroom libraries. A new addition this year was a Bahama Buck’s coupon for every student who turned in a completed reading chart.

Not every student is required to hand in a reading chart, but the festival usually sees 14,000 participants, and between 3,500 – 4,000 students usually complete their charts, Schofield said. He added that it’s fun to see the students come with their families and reward themselves with a new kite. 

“We love seeing this,” he said, waving at the field full of families flying kites. “We’re happy that people participate and that kids are learning how to read.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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