Kite Festival to go on as planned as Harley-Davidson works to restore Veterans Park after heavy rains

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Harley-Davidson says they will cover the cost to restore Veterans Park along Milwaukee's lakefront. 

"We are going to cover it whatever it takes," said Michael Pflughoeft, Harley-Davidson Media Relations Manager. 

The combination of heavy rain and many of the company's 115th Anniversary events being held at the park left the grounds torn up.

“We’ve been partners with Milwaukee County Parks for a number of anniversaries events and we have pledged to make sure the park will be restored to as good if not better conditions prior to the event and we started work on that," said Pflughoeft.

A landscaping contractor will be scraping the dirt, leveling it out back to the way it was and then planting grass. 

Harley-Davidson hopes to have it complete within one to two weeks but it all depends on the weather. But it won't be done in time for the Wilde Subaru Frank Mots International Kite festival September 8-9. 

“The timing was just all bad for everybody and I think Harley is going to do a great job. In fact, this park will probably look better than it did before," said Scott Fisher, Gift of Wings owner and event organizer. 

The festival is still on. It will be moved 100 feet to the east at Veterans Park, closer to the lake.

“It's untouched and beautiful grass," said Fisher. 

This is the festival's 40th year and organizers are not going to let a little mud get in the way. 

“We are going to have a great weekend down here, I encourage everyone to come down and fly a kite," said Fisher. 

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