Windscape provided an update on some changes the organization has seen since the festival's near closure. 

After reorganizing, the Windscape Kite Festival is soaring ever higher in 2024, after stabilizing from last year's near implosion. 

The financial deficit has been corrected, the future has been mapped out, and the leadership has eyes on a bright future. 

All of this and more was discussed by Scott Weinbender, operations manager for Windscape, and Keely Williams, the festival coordinator for Windscape, at the most recent Swift Current city council meeting. 

"We just wanted to give you guys a bit of an update on the festival and how we're doing so far," said Weinbender. "As you know, we've come through kind of a rebuilding year here, so I wanted to give you a good update."

 Weinbender gave an update on the fancials, which previously were deep in the danger zone. Windscape Kite Festival has a total expense of $273,000 to cover. In the last report they made, they had $70,250 in sponsorship as of March 1, while grants totalled 106,100. 

Now, sponsorships are at $93,450, and grant funding has reached $123,436, and is expecting $5,000 - $7,000 more. Additionally, they have received over $16,000 in in-kind donations.  

Another big effort that has helped pump more funding into keeping Windscape soaring high in the sky is the 'Sky Dancer Campaign'.

"It's similar to the Helping Hands that Telemiracle does," described Weinbender. "So we've given out 670 kites to these businesses to sell so they could generate some decent revenue for us as well."

At 12 local businesses, these kites are available for purchase for only $5. Proceeds from this campaign help to fund Windscape, with things like the specialty kite flyers that visit from all over the world. 

Windscape has set up some strategic goals to help them steer things into a better future. First is continuing to present high-quality arts and culture programming, followed by building and maintaining connections in the community. They also want to focus on promoting economic and social growth, while ensuring Windscape's own economic sustainability of both the organization and its activities.  Lastly, they are working on additional organizational development and succession planning. 

Currently, they are building relationships all around Sask. in their community outreach programming. 

"We have five summer students and three interns through the Great Plains College," said Williams "We've been working very hard."

Things like the Cathedral Village Arts Festival in Regina, and the upcoming Saskatoon Children's Festival are where they are hosting free kite workshops, building interest in the hobby and sparking a passion for it in youth. 

"We are also offering free kite building and similar kite workshops to all the schools and daycares in town if they are interested," offered Weinbender. 

This year, the SaskPower Windscpae Kite Festival will be on June 22 and 23. Plans have been made to return to the field located on the corner of 11 Avenue Southwest and Marston Street. 

An additional bit of good news is the plans for a bus to ferry people from the S3 Arenas parking lot, should the parking in the field become unusable during the event. 

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