Kite flying still being promoted in Barbados

For the last eight years parliamentary representative for St. James South, Donville Inniss has been promoting the need to keep kite making alive in that community, and by all accounts he believes the efforts have been a success.

Speaking with The Barbados Advocate on Easter Monday as he hosted the Annual Kite Flying and Family Picnic at the Wanstead Ridge Park, Inniss said while they have been seeing new faces coming to be part of the event over the years, the work needed to get more young people involved in kite making is far from over. His comments came as he said that in addition to ensuring that they can maintain the kite making and kite flying traditions of our island, the event serves as a way to bring the community together for a day of wholesome fun and frolic.

“That art of making a kite, hoisting it up in the air and keeping it in the air is dying in Barbados and is becoming perhaps a bit too commercialised and the camaraderie that came along with that tradition too is dying. So what we have been doing is getting the youngsters to come and learn how to make a kite and to fly it, and I am very appreciative of Peter Skeete and the Haynesville Youth Group who work very hard at maintaining that tradition,” he said.

When The Barbados Advocate visited the Wanstead Ridge Park, persons, in addition to kite flying could be seen playing games such as dominoes and engaging in lively conversation.