PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Every Friday night at Mile Marker 13 in Port Aransas, Tracy Cheeks and Shawn Bramlett of Southern Lights LED Kites put on a show with kites that are anything but ordinary.
The massive LED kites stretch dozens of feet in every direction. One measures 90 feet long. A squid kite spans 115 feet. A ray flies at about 75 feet, and a trilobite's tentacles reach roughly 100 feet.
Cheeks said the scale of the kites often catches beachgoers off guard.
"I don't really think they consider that until they get up next to them. Videos don't really do them justice."
The kites are impressive during the day, but Cheeks said the real magic happens after dark.
"The day kites, they're beautiful. The night show, though, is completely different - it's actually mesmerizing."
Cheeks said he got into kite flying almost by chance.
"Just living here on the beach, had some extra time on my hands, so picked up one and kind of from there it just blossomed into this."
For kite enthusiasts like Kathleen, Friday nights at Mile Marker 13 have become a weekly escape. I met her while she was flying an American flag kite, dressed patriotically to match.
"It's free. It makes you happy, and it's my happy place."
Cheeks said what moves him most is the effect the kites have on the people who stop to watch.
"We've had people come up to us and they're like, you know, I was having the worst day of my life and I walked out here and saw this and all that just washed away. It's really amazing how it can change people's perspective and their mood."
The Friday night LED kite show takes place weekly at Mile Marker 13 in Port Aransas.
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