Kite Festival Singapore 2014: Go Fly Kite!

Media Invite

If there is one activity that the boys have been incessantly bugging me to do more often, it will have to be kite-flying. There is something incredibly thrilling about launching a kite to catch the wind and watching it soar above, and the boys love it. So when the ever-popular annual NTUC Income Kite Festival Singapore returned to Marina Bay over the weekend, I knew the boys (and Ale) would be game for it.

Even better when they had the opportunity to dabble in some kite-making of their own!

Taught by expert kite masters from Singapore, Italy and Austria, these FREE 45-minute workshops gave everyone the chance to make their own kites - pocket sled, origami or train kites.

We gunned for the pocket sled kite, which was a departure from the usual origami (or diamond-shaped) kite that the monkies are used to. For starters, the pocket sled kite needed more work... especially the tying of skeleton of the kite.

After some sticky tape, sticks, string-tying (and lots of help) later, our kites were done!

Needless to say, the monkies were only too eager to let their kites meet up with the others in the sky.

Only problem was, we were waylaid by the numerous fringe activities that dotted the Marina Bay Boardwalk!

And one of them was these 'living statues' that hailed from Europe, ranging from different characters such as a Pirate, Traveller, and Dream Catcher.

The monkies were amazed to find out that they were actually real people, as the performers were impeccably still for extended periods. But the one 'statue' that absolutely fascinated them - and me too! - was this.

Can you spot him? Aptly named 'Mossman', this had all of us stop in our tracks and momentarily forget all about flying our kites.

I cannot even imagine how hot (and itchy) it must be under that green suit. So kudos to Mossman from The Netherlands! Besides him, there are loads of other performances to keep the young ones entertained too - from circus acts to magic and variety shows along the Boardwalk. The Promontory housed the Main Stage, which had musical performances throughout the event.

Of course, there was still the matter of kite-flying... which the monkies gently reminded me.

We settled on the open field across The Promontory to launch our kites, where it was less crowded and had more space for the kids to run amok.

And ran and ran they did.

Or maybe it was just Ale, who interpreted kite-flying as darting across the field with the kite fluttering just above her. Erm, whatever that makes her happy I guess.

All that running did eventually lead to something - a HUGE appetite come dinner time!

If you are thinking of bringing the kids down to try some kite flying and contributing to the many spectacular kites fluttering in the blue sky, TODAY (24 August 2014) is the final day to do so.


Useful Information

NTUC Income Kite Festival Singapore 2014
The Promontory @ Marina Bay
23 & 24 August 2014; 4pm - 8pm
FREE Admission
For the complete listing and timings of the performances and programmes, visit HERE.
*The kite-making workshops are located somewhere along the Marina Bay Boardwalk, near to Marina Bay City Gallery. Concurrent sessions are held at 4pm to 4.45pm, 5pm to 5.45pm and 4.30pm to 5.15pm, 5.30pm to 6.15pm.
Website: www.act3international.com.sg/kitefest2014/index.html