International Kite Festival
Toronto - 17 September 2000

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We heard there was a kite festival in North Toronto. We decided to ride our bikes and take a look.

our first view of the kite field windsock detail triangle kite detail long kite detail red kite over crowd red kite detail kites and flags octopus kite over crowd octopus kite closeup horse flag closeup string-of-beads kite over crowd string-of-beads kite closeup another view of kites 4 kite demonstration 4 kite demonstration closeup of 4 coloured kites kite flyers close up kite flyers with kites

As we rode along through the neighbourhoods, not quite sure of the way, suddenly T pointed up into the sky and said, "There they are!" We couldn't believe how many kites we saw! Hundreds of people were gathered, flying kites, watching kites being flown, watching anxiously as people tried desperately to extricate kites from trees, cheering as one kite magically and mysteriously extricated itself from the grabbing branches... the music of all that fabric fluttering in the wind and the calls and laughter of all those people!



We ran out of film just as the kite fight was to begin. There were about 9 large hexagonal kites (about 5 feet high?) fighting. We watched in amazement as the fighters maneuvred their kites, cutting strings and causing the big kites to come crashing (undamaged) to the ground below - until there was one victorious kite with a prism design left flying triumphantly in the sky. We had a long ride home so decided not stay for the next round of fights.

As we rode our bikes out of the park, we looked back towards the sky filled with so many different kites and watched as the beautiful prism kite, its strings cut, floated out off over the trees and off into the wild blue yonder....