Autumn breezes blew early on the Hudson on the weekend bringing much laughter and loftiness to the west side. Just down stream from the infamous marina where male divorcees from the boom & bust eighties were still floating on their half of the family fortune, kites filled the sky in celebration of FlyNYC. Superman ducked and dived with octopuses, dragons and giant squid, as handmade white kites headed for the heavens. There were tears when only the string returned, but not for long – there’s not much a mobile pizza oven can’t cure.
Disguised as a day for children, the festival saw many big kids ‘getting it started’ and, with kites launched, not wanting to hand back the controls. Casting from the gusty vantage of the pier, kites entangled strings and people as the wind blew upriver. The Shinbone Alley Stilt Band just managed to stay upright, while Batala, the AfroBrazilian Samba Reggae drumming band, created their own ground swell. Having opened for the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary tour, they bought fantastic energy and color to the day, dancing their way up and back along the pier. You can’t beat an all women band with a honky tonk history. Especially the grandmothers!
TheFitzyreport 
There is something that is hard to describe with adequate words about the simple joy and wonder of kite flying. Whether you be a child or an adult, the prospect of holding onto tethered flight never fails to elicit fascination. Even in a bustling metropolis such as New York, by the relay of your report, we witness this again. And, the shapes and sizes of kites – from the humble but graceful home made delta kite to the more sophisticated layered and stunt kites every desire can be catered. I greatly enjoyed reading your report and viewing the photographs.
Thank you Terry – in fact you have described this wonderful activity much better than I ! It was beautiful out on the pier, feeling the wind behind us and watching the kites fly. It is not a peculiarly New York activity of course, but like you say, it was the simple joy of kite flying, and this is a beautiful thing wherever you are.