It Wouldn’t Be Springtime Without Them
Early March means kites—hundreds of them soaring high in the Austin skies. This sight is a joy for all, but those who come to this annual springtime tradition may not realize how many times in recent years the popular Zilker Kite Festival, a favorite since its inception in 1929, came close to being discontinued.
The Springtime Place to Be
From its earliest days, the festival has consistently grown in popularity. Today, it ranks among the top five festivals across the nation, drawing over 20,000 visitors every spring. The colorful kites, great food and numerous vendor booths do more than bring joy to the hearts of Austin residents. The festival is also pivotal in raising money for the benefit of local charities across the city. Could something so constructive and well-loved ever have been in danger?
Sadly, the answer is yes.
A Festival at Risk
The festival may be free to attendees, but that doesn’t make it free to pull off. In the beginning, members of the Exchange Club of Austin did it all on their own. They directed traffic, erected barricades and handled all requirements for safety and security. However, the festival gradually grew too large for a few enthusiastic volunteers to handle on their own.
That’s when it became necessary to hire outside companies to run what had become by then as much an institution as a tradition. When the nation’s financial fortunes took their famous nose-dive, city officials were forced to impose usage fees at Zilker Park, thus driving the festival’s expenses even higher.
Today, annual production costs run to an amount that’s hard to come by. For Austin’s popular springtime event, the days have often seemed numbered.
How the Twidwells Saved the Day
Event sponsors Dorsey and Bunnie Twidwell have refused to let the festival end. Since 1999, these two Exchange Club of Austin members have kept it going almost single-handedly. How do they do it?
They hawk hot dogs. They sell T-shirts. They find supporters. They put in endless hours of volunteering. Their tireless efforts through the years have not only saved the festival but also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities in the process.