The skies above Pigeon Point burst with colour on Easter Monday as the annual Kite Flying Festival, supported by the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF), drew families and kite enthusiasts together for a day of celebration.
Reviving a fading tradition, the event showcased the CDF’s commitment to preserving the art of Easter kite flying for future generations.
According to Ryan Germain, the CDF’s senior media and communications officer, the festival was a vibrant success despite less-than-ideal weather conditions.
“It was a very interesting event where we saw a lot of colour, a lot of blast, a lot of different sized kites. And of course, it was also from a family field there,” Germain said.
Organised in collaboration with XS Productions, the festival saw participation from both local and international kite flyers. Germain emphasised the importance of maintaining traditions like this one, stating, “One of the key things that we saw that was XS Productions is continuing to keep that tradition alive, and the CDF is proud to keep endorsing it with other partners in the private sector as well.”
The competition aspect of the festival drew considerable excitement, with categories for Most Creative/Innovative Kids and Adults, Most Patriotic, Scariest, Highest Flying, Largest Flying, Most Colourful Kids and Adults, Best Group/Corporation, and Best Overall.
However, lighter winds this year made flying challenging. “One major thing was that the wind was not so much, you know, in our favour as previous years,” Germain said, noting that despite the conditions, some kites still managed to soar.
The atmosphere was filled with joy and togetherness. Families were seen flying kites together, many purchasing them on-site to join in. “It was actually a sense of nostalgia seeing that engagement of the family, of a father with his son running with a kite or a mom and a daughter, or a group, an entire family of six or seven coming out to celebrate the annual kite line competition,” Germain shared.
He also reflected on the deeper cultural roots stating that flying is not only celebrated in Saint Lucia but also across the region and beyond.
“Kite flying has a historical background, going far back as China, where they used it in warfare or even in Indian culture, where they bring it to celebrate the change of the seasons where Holi is also celebrated at the same time.”
In some parts of India, especially Gujarat, Punjab, and Maharashtra, people fly kites during the Holi season as part of the general celebration of spring and open skies.
As the event wrapped up, the sentiment was clear: traditional, community-centred events like the Kite Flying Festival play a vital role in preserving cultural heritage.
Annually, CDF hopes to continue to endorse traditional community family-oriented activities like these “because these things keep the legacy, keep the continuum of culture.”
