The inaugural Niagara International Kite Festival was a terrific event which brought together renowned kite makers and fliers from local clubs in the Western NY and Ontario regions.  The festival was held over three days from October 7-9, 2005.

The principal organizers, Meg and Bill Albers of Buffalo NY, did a fine job of tacking the complex logistical issues of getting a major festival off the ground and into the air.  Meg worked for over a year to set up the mechanics of the festival, round up sponsors, coordinate with local tourism officials, and secure the necessary permissions to launch the event.  Then it was on to inviting guests and preparing the necessary publicity to attract both kite fliers and the public.  It is critical for a sponsored event to get crowds of spectators since that ensures their visibility to a target market and provides them with value for money invested.  Needless to say, there is a daunting amount of work in such a venture.  Meg and Bill pulled it off amazingly well.  Three key supporters were Richard and Laurie Dutton and Ted Shaw, all of Western NY.  Kate Scaglione of the Niagara Tourism Board of Niagara County in New York State was also a key player in the success of the event.  Major corporate sponsors Wegmans' Supermarkets and the New York Power Authority were major contributors.

Although the weather could have been better (overcast and very cool) for both days of the festival held on a spacious field near ArtPark in Lewiston NY, the skies were brightened considerably by the terrific colourful kites flown by the participants.

Major kite flyers in attendance were:  Jose Sainz of San Diego, Scott Skinner of Monument, Colorado, Dean Jordan of Florida, Glenn Davison of Massachusetts, Peter Lynn of New Zealand, Masaaki Modegi and a three person team from the Japan Kite Association, Shula and Eli Shavitand of Israel,  and Team No Limits of Germany.    In addition, noted Kite Aerial Photographers Craig Wilson of Minnesota and Carl Bigras of Quebec were in attendance.

It was a pleasure to fly with such great kiters and to converse with them about their kites and kiting in general.  What a collection of skilled designers and knowledgeable flyers! 

One of the highlights for me was a chance to make deeper acquaintance with Scott Skinner of the Drachen Foundation.  Dedicated to the preservation of kite history and the advancement of understanding about kites in other cultures, the Drachen Foundation is a premier source for kite information and research materials.  Having written one article for the Drachen Newsletter, it was a real honour for me to spend time with Scott.  He is dedicated to the kite as an important item in world cultures and history.  More than that, he is a genuinely warm, humorous, and energetic 'people person' who will willingly share his knowledge and time with others who love kites.  Most kiters are this way, but Scott remains down to earth at all times and is approachable.  You cannot leave an encounter with him on the field or in conversation without a smile and a genuine feeling of warmth.  What a treasure!

Jose Sainz is an incredible kite maker.  He has won so many awards that it takes far too long to list them.  What struck me in my second meeting with him (the first was in Wildwood NJ in 2000) was his fun-loving attitude and his joy for life. 

The display of aerial photography by Carl Bigras and Craig Wilson was most interesting.  The angles and insights provided by a view from aloft captivated many spectators. 

Russ and Pat Mozier of NewJersey displayed their fabulous stamp collection featuring kites on stamps from nations around the world.  This too was well received by the many visitors to the festival.

Glenn Davison displayed his terrific collection of mini-kites.  Several of Glenn's kites have won awards and he surely is one of the premier miniature kite builders in the world. 

Another highlight for me was the kitemaking with kids.   Laurie Dutton led the kitemaking with a group of volunteer assistants that frequently included some of the invited kite guests who were seeking some relief from damp and chill autumn winds.  Laurie has emerged as a great leader in this area.  She began by assisting Meg Albers at the Wildwood International Festival in 2000 and she now has mastered the instructional and organziational components of this challenging feature of a good kite festival. 

Huge kites, magnificent kites and an appreciative crowd as well as flying with my good friends from the Great Lakes Kitefliers Society, the Toronto Kitefliers and the Niagara Windriders made this  a wonderful way to spend three days!  I look forward to a repeat of the Niagara International Kite Festival in coming years.