Kites soar over Naperville skies

After a couple of hours when the air was too still for comfort, the Frontier Kite Fly Festival in Naperville were able to take off nicely, organizers said.

Hundreds of people brought blankets, small picnics and yes, kites, to the Frontier Sports Complex Sunday to enjoy the fifth annual festival, organized by the Naperville Park District.

Fred Gusel, the park district’s superintendent of recreation, said low winds dampened attendance in the early going.

“It was a beautiful morning in every other respect,” Gusel said. “Just not perfect for kite flying.”

By lunchtime, though, the breeze had picked up and sent dozens of colorful kites soaring into the sky. Attendees who didn’t fly their own kites brought their children to the inflatable play area, listened to live music or watched kite tricks performed by members of the Illinois Kite Enthusiasts Club.

“People who haven’t seen what these people can do with kites will be amazed,” Gusel said. “The moves are very precise and very cool to see.”

Carla Morales of Aurora was satisfied doing her own kite flying. She ran across the lawn with her 5-year-old son, pulling a blue-and-gold kite along behind them.

“I used to love doing this as a kid,” she said. “And on a day like this, you just to get out and do something.”

Ellen Siegel of Naperville was sitting under a shady tree, reading a book and sipping from a travel mug of coffee while her 7-year-old daughter, Stephanie, munched on a sandwich.

“We live close by here, and it seemed like a great thing to do on a Sunday afternoon,” she said. “Her father is bringing a kite we’re all going to try to fly later.”

Gusel said he expected 800 to 1,000 people would have visited the festival by the time it closed down in late afternoon.

“We do this because it’s a great family-oriented event that’s perfect for summertime,” he said. “I think that’s what people like about it.”