Great Delaware Kite Festival: 50 years of high-flying fun

Video, gallery of photos

Jim Cosca of Fort Washington, Md., left, and Dennis Williams of East Brunswick, N.J., perform a stunt kite-flying demonstration March 30 during the 50th annual Great Delaware Kite Festival at Cape Henlopen State Park. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS

Ron MacArthur

April 3, 2018

The Great Delaware Kite Festival started 50 years ago as a kite dueling contest between Lt. Gov. Eugene Bookhammer and the Maharajah of Bharatpur, India. While a kite duel was a new experience to people in this area, kite dueling is a popular sport in India.

The object of the competition is to cut the other flyer's kite line. Bookhammer had beginner's luck and was able to defeat the Maharajah for two years. In the third year, a kite-flying expert from Baltimore came to the park and won the contest. Eventually, spectators began bringing their own kites, and it didn't take long for the festival to become an event that attracts thousands to Cape Henlopen State Park each Good Friday. It's one of the oldest kite festivals in the country.

The Best All Around Kite Flyer Award is named in honor of Bookhammer, who passed away Feb. 23, 2013, at the age of 94. Another key person who contributed to the festival, Delaware State Park's Jack Goins, was involved with every festival except the first until his passing in February 2017. It was his love of music that inspired the musical accompaniment to kite-flying competitions.

During the March 30 event, Sen. Ernie Lopez and Rep. Steve Smyk presented House and Senate proclamations to mark the 50^th anniversary to Lewes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Betsy Reamer and Delaware Division of Parks Regional Parks Administrator Pat Cooper.

Kite Festival winners: Best All Around, Gene Bookhammer Award: Mark Blattel, Milton.

Children and teen competitions

Best store-bought kite: 1. Zach Faubert, Milton; 2. Mila Patel, Cary, N.C.; 3. Emilia Faubert, Milton.
Best homemade kite: 1. Abagail Kissling, Reading, Pa. 2. Novalee Coleman, Bel Air, Md.
Most attractive homemade kite: 1. Novalee Coleman.
Most unusual homemade kite: Dylan Kissling, Reading, Pa.
Teen, best store-bought kite: 1. Anna Jungkeit, Leesburg, Va.
Youngest flyer: Bruce Leister, 8 months old, Camden.

Adult competitions

Most attractive homemade kite: 1. Phil Broder, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Best flyer, homemade kite: 1. Phil Broder; 2. Arnold Simon.
Precision flying award: 1. Mark Blattel.
Ballet flying award: 1. Dennis Smith, East Brunswick, N.J.; 2. Jim Cosca, Fort Washington, Md.; 3. Mark Blattel.

Special competitions

Highest kite: 1. Arnold Simon, Pikesville, Md.; 2. Chase Nessa, Georgetown; 3. Anna Jungkeit.
Most senior flyer: Thomas Bassett, Manchester, Pa.
Traveled most distance: Walker and Jonathan Schepf, Clifton Park, N.Y.
Smallest kite: Bill Goodwin, Ocean View. Largest kite: Phil Broder.

Hundreds of kites were flying over Cape Henlopen State Park during the Great Kite Festival.

Phil Broder of Mechanicsburg, Pa., looks through his colorful homemade kite. Broder took top honors as the best adult homemade kite and also won an award having the largest kite.

Zoe Cullen of Millsboro has her eyes skyward as she watches her kite fly.

Jack Lombardo of Lewes is excited to take part in the annual kite festival.

Children crawl over one another at the start of the egg hunt.

Cascading Carlos wows the crowd with his juggling performance.

Jackson Smith of Millsboro helps get a kite aloft raising it over his head.

Foster Schucker of Wilmington works to get a large green squid into the air.

The Hall family of Lewes is ready to get some kites flying.

Bruce Leister, 8 months old of Camden, is the youngest competitor.

Emilia Faubert of Milton ends up as a top finisher in the youth store-bought kite division.

Ali Selders of Milton is tangled up in red as she tries to help her son, Max. get their kite aloft.

Tyler Jenkins of Lewes is happy to see his kite stay off the ground.

Faith Zakrzewski of Long Neck says she is using an umbrella to protect herself from falling kites.

Sen. Ernie Lopez gives kite flyer Amanda Mendoza, visiting the area from Pennsylvania, a little help.

Eggs fly in the early round of the egg-toss contest.

Kirs Foss of Lewes, taking part in her first egg toss, suffers a broken egg on her pants.

Mark Blattel of Milton, a regular participant in the event, does a kite ballet to the music of Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Blatell earned top honors winning the Gene Bookhammer Award, named in honor of the founder of the festival.

Stella VanHekle of Clayton chases a mico-kite around and around.

Ben Huggett of Philadelphia participates in the highest-kite competition.

Anna Jungkeit of Leesburg, Va.,is flying a 30-year-old kite in the highest-kite competition, which she placed third.

Michael Coleman of Belair, Md., holds 11-month-old daughter Novalee, a fifth-generation kite flyer and winner of two medals.

Arnold Simon of Pikesville, Md., wins another highest-flying kite competition.

There is no doubt Bill Goodwin of Ocean View has the smallest kite at the festival. It’s that red dot he is holding for the judges to see.

What’s up doc? Kaitlyn Conner of Wilmington and Lewes has on a serious pair of bunny ears.

Children ages 4 to 7 wait for the start of the egg hunt.

A huge crowd of young egg hunters takes part in the kite festival gathering.

Bradly Dillon, left, of Onley, Md., and Jackson Witzler of the Washington, D.C., area show off their eggs and baskets.

It’s hard to keep kids back before the start of the egg hunt.

The object is to gather as many eggs as possible.

Cascading Carlos keeps his eye on the flying ball.

Astrid Bruening of New York reels in her homemade kite following the competition.

Orly Bruening of New York gets her homemade kite in the air.

Emilia Faubert of Milton fights the wind as her hair obscures her view.

Local legislators gather to honor the 50th anniversary of the Great Delaware Kite Festival. Taking part in the ceremony are (l-r) Rep. Steve Smyk, Pat Cooper, Delaware Division of Parks regional administrator, Betsy Reamer, Lewes Chamber of Commerce executive director and Sen. Ernie Lopez.

Brother and sister Zach, first, and Emilia Faubert, third, of Milton, finish in the top three in the best store bought kite flying competition.

As judges keep an eye out, eggs fly in the annual toss.

Cascading Carlos adds a bit of danger to his juggling act.