Kites fill the skies over Naperville for annual Fly Festival

The sky above Naperville's Frontier Sports Complex was filled Sunday with kites of all shapes and sizes - from small Spider-Man kites to gigantic streamers that nearly blotted out the sun.

That variety is one of the things that makes the Frontier Kite Fly Festival so fun, organizers say.

"It's a great mix of stuff here," said Brett Lindahl, sponsorship and special events manager for the Naperville Park District, which organizes the kite festival. "Whether you're a hard-core kite enthusiast or you're flying one for the first time, you'll have fun."

The festival ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Lindahl expected more than 1,000 people would visit over the course of the day.

The balmy weather was a huge help, he said, even if the periodic gusts of wind occasionally wreaked havoc on the bigger kites.

"The weather is the one thing we can't control, but so far, I'd say everyone is pleased with how it's turned out," he said.

The festival included live music and a slew of children's activities, but as always, the kites were the stars.

Marcia Fitzgerald of Naperville attended the event with her three sons, ages 10, 8 and 5, who took turns flying a Chicago Blackhawks kite.

"I think this is our third year coming to this," Fitzgerald said. "There's still something about seeing a kite go up in the sky that really fascinates kids."

Tonya and Jeff Roberts of Naperville (and their children) attended the festival for the first time,

"It's fun," Tonya Roberts said. "It's such a beautiful day out here."

The park district received organizational assistance from Chicago Kite, a retail business that also provides lessons and demonstrations.