What is this
On September 7th and 8th, everyone with their noses in the air to observe the flight of the giants of the air in Roca Vecchia. Setups, stands, exhibitors, decorations, activities and shows for children, adults and families, and lots of kites ready to fly in the sky of the Adriatic sea, in a riot of colors and emotions ready to leave their mark.
All this is "Giganti in volo", International Kite Festival, an event presented this morning in the conference room of Palazzo Adorno, in Lecce.
The Municipality of Melendugno and the Eolo Club of Gubbio, one of the longest-running groups present at the major kite festivals in the world, has promoted and organized the first edition of an event ready to color and animate the Salento summer.
To illustrate the program and collateral activities of the Festival, which benefits from the collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce of Lecce, Parish Maria SS. Assunta Melendugno, Oratorio Don Orione Melendugno, Giovani in Gioco, Surf Fest, Narconon, and which enjoys the patronage of the Province of Lecce, the Chief of Staff of the Province of Lecce Antonio Perrone, the Mayor of Melendugno Maurizio Cisternino, with the councilors Patrizia Gerardi (Environment) and Roberta Montinaro (Territorial Marketing), and the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Lecce Francesco De Giorgi spoke.
“As the Province of Lecce, we immediately shared the spirit of the event by granting the patronage of the Authority. We present a rich program that will have as its backdrop a magical setting like that of Roca Vecchia, and that best combines environmental peculiarities and food and wine traditions: all with a view to deseasonalization of tourism”, said the Chief of Staff of the Authority Antonio Perrone in his greeting speech.
Since ancient times, the wind has allowed civilizations around the world to conquer new lands, new horizons, to dare to think beyond their own borders. "On this visionary wave was born the desire to give life to this Festival. A thought that does not stop at the mere realization of the event, but that intends to be the beginning of a path that has as its objective that of using one of the characteristic resources of our territory, the wind", declared the mayor of Melendugno Maurizio Cisternino.
"Co-protagonists are the giant kites that with their colors, their size and their cheerfulness, will allow us to celebrate a shared moment of joyful sustainability", said Patrizia Gerardi, councilor delegated to the Environment, who together with councilor Roberta Montinaro took care of the organizational process of the event.
Around the flight field, specially set up, there will be the presence of local businesses that will promote the typical products linked to food and wine, with local products at km 0, artisanal and solidarity products. The garden of the wind will be one of the highlights of the event, while for the little ones there will be a dedicated area with inflatables, games and workshops. There will also be music with the pizzica salentina of L’Allegra Compagnia, an event scheduled for Sunday 8 September (at 5 pm).
In addition to the Club Eolo of Gubbio, the following have joined the event: Aquilonisti Millepiedi Foligno, Twister Team San Benedetto del Tronto, Vado dove ti porta il Vento Modena, Gli Aquilotti Morrovalle, Chi met di Bacalà Forlì, Teste per Aria San Zenone degli Ezzelini, Bernhard Dingwerth, Werner Bache, Erwin Abraham.