A huge crowd gathered at Horseshoe Bay Beach yesterday to celebrate Good Friday and take full advantage of the perfect kite-flying weather.

Kites of all shapes, colours and sizes graced the skies as beachgoers soaked up the sun and enjoyed the family-friendly and fun-filled party atmosphere.

While the day was a new experience for some, many beachgoers had been taking part in the unique Bermuda tradition for years.

Ronald Tear, who brought his wife Nicole and daughter Ella, 10, to the beach, has been making and flying kites since he was a little boy.

The Warwick resident was busy constructing a traditional Bermuda kite out of dried fennel sticks, a brown paper bag and old rags.

“I thought I would just make something at the spur of the moment,” Mr Tear said. “I’m hoping it will fly.”

Garry Stockley, who lives in Spanish Point, is a regular at the event and was at the beach with his wife, Kelly, and children Hannah and Benji.

“We’re enjoying a lovely family outing,” he said. “It’s such a great family day. We come every year. It’s our first go at flying a traditional kite.”

Mr Stockley said he bought his kite from the Salvation Army and chose it because of the design, adding: “I like the Bermuda flag on it.”

Keith Fenn and his family are also regulars at Horseshoe Bay on Good Friday, however, this year marked their first time flying a kite. The Southampton resident said he bought the colourful kite, which had two rotating parts, in San Diego.

Also continuing a yearly tradition, Laura Hope was at beach with family and friends and was flying a black and white kite covered in paw prints.

“My cat inspired me this year,” said the 15-year-old Hamilton Parish resident, who makes a kite every year.

Family friend John Nicol added: “It’s always a good atmosphere. It’s great for the children — a fun-filled day.”

Jermaine Gibbons, of Devonshire, brought his three-year-old son out to enjoy a day on the beach with the family for exactly this reason.

He said: “It’s a nice, peaceful atmosphere. Everybody’s enjoying the day.”

But the day was a new experience for tourists Brenda Orr and her mother Patricia Winans, who were visiting the island for the first time from New Brunswick in Canada.

“We read about KiteFest before we came and thought it would be a fun thing to do on Good Friday,” Ms Orr said. “We wanted to experience the local culture. It’s neat that people fly kites here for Easter.”

She added that while they were no strangers to flying kites, it was not common in Canada at this time of year.

Carla Dixon, who was on holiday visiting her godmother, was doing her best to keep a miniature kite with the England flag on it airborne.

“It’s beautiful, lovely — nothing I’ve ever seen before,” Ms Dixon said of the event. “It’s amazing to see everybody coming together.”

The day was also a first for Laura and Nick Gale, who moved to Bermuda about seven weeks ago. The couple brought their two young sons to the beach.

“We heard it was a tradition to come out,” Mrs Gale said. “It’s really nice and really family friendly.”

While Joshua, 3, and Lucas, 1, were determined to build a sandcastle complete with trap door, Mr Gale had a great time flying the kite he made with Joshua.

Kim Pursell, from Pembroke, was at the beach with her husband, two children and her father John Kovalick, who was eager to go for a swim.

“My dad is visiting from Pennsylvania, so we’re having a great time,” she said. “It’s great kite-flying weather.”

Jared Hollis and Kerry Petty, from Southampton, have enjoyed Good Friday on the beach with their family and friends for the past eight years.

“It’s relaxing,” said Mr Hollis, a seasoned kite-flying pro. “We go to the beach, fly some kites, have some beer and have a good time.”

For new residents Jonathan Tagacay and Neil Nadeau, who decided to come and see what all the fuss was about, the good weather was perfect for drinking beer in the sun.

“This is my first time down here,” Mr Nadeau, who hails from Connecticut in the US, said. “Everyone was talking about it. This is a great opening to the summer season.”

Kevin Wade, meanwhile, was enjoying his first time at Horseshoe Bay on Good Friday for some time.

“It’s nice to see everybody out having a good time and dodging kites,” the Pembroke resident said. “I haven’t been down here for a while — my partner in crime dragged me out.”

Mr Wade was soaking up the atmosphere and relaxing with a friend but decided not to bring a kite.

“I am kite challenged,” he said. “Kites and myself have never really worked well.”

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