About The Essex Kite Flyers

The Essex Kite Flyers were formed in 2000 as a small group of friends interested in kites and kite flying.

In January 2003 the group was at a point where we had enough members to consider becoming a fee-paying club with a minimal set of bye-laws and appointed officials. Since then the club has grown to over 28 members who cover a wide area of Southwestern and Southern Ontario and Michigan.

The EKF are dedicated to furthering kites and kite flying and we have a very active education program where members will go into schools and Scout/Guide groups and provide static demonstrations/talks, flying demonstrations, kite building sessions and the like. These usually take place during April as part of 'National Kite Month'.

The EKF is also very active with charitable organizations and we have an annual fly in conjunction with the Canadian Cancer Society (the Cancer Jamboree) and we put on our own charity fly on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Southwestern Ontario. The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® provides 'wishes' to children with life threatening illnesses and our fly (the Andrew Baxter Memorial Kite Fly) is named in honour of a young man who unfortunately died two days before our first Make-A-Wish^® fly and who should have been our guest of honour.

The club puts on three kite festivals of its own every year, the Make-A-Wish^®Fly in May, the Adrian Conn Night Fly in July, and the Farm Fly in August (in conjunction with Essex County Steam & Gas Engine Club Show) we also have a very informal fly known as the 'Polar Bear Fly' held on New Years Day. Club members also travel to a number of other festivals throughout Southwestern and Southern Ontario, Michigan and Ohio.

In January 2004 the club decided to increase the frequency of the Club Flys (at the members request) and we now hold Club Flys bi-weekly on the first and third Sundays of each month from April through October. Many local fliers even get together between 'official' flys to fly kites together at various locations around the county. All of our festivals and regular Club Flys take place at Co-An Park in McGregor, Ontario and anyone can come along and experience the kites, friendship and spectacle of kites of all types and size filling the air (you may even get a chance to fly one if you ask nicely ;-)).

The complete 'Calendar of Events' can be found from the button on the left or by following this link if you want to go there directly.

The map below shows the location of Co-An Park with directions from the USA and London as well as local directions. You are more than welcome to come along and pay us a visit during any of our Club Flys or festivals.