Weekend full of events that really took off

Jul 5 2010 by Richard Fletcher, The Journal

SUMMER fun was up in the air as people flocked to a major kite festival.

The Sunderland International Friendship Festival returned this weekend with some of the world’s most prestigious kite enthusiasts on show.

International kite fliers and kite makers from as far away as the USA, Australia and Japan came for the event.

Coun Denny Wilson from Sunderland City Council said: “The festival is a really popular family event. It has always had really strong international ties and is a celebration of Sunderland’s friendships both around the world and between local communities.”

As well as featuring the popular kite festival, the event played host to marching brass bands, a music marquee, exhibitions, family craft activities, storytelling, children’s fun fair and a range of World Cup themed activities.

Pupils from Usworth Grange Primary School worked alongside professional kite fliers aeolian artist Robert Valkenburgh from Holland to produce and fly their own kites.

Also on at the weekend was the Catherine Cookson Parade in South Shields. The annual march, featuring performers from community groups and youth associations, is part of South Tyneside’s Summer Festival.

Meanwhile, Beamish Museum was celebrating its 40th birthday. On both Saturday and Sunday a parade was led by a horse-drawn carriage and a Suffragette march, a Model T Ford and a steam roller. There was also a photography exhibition of 40 years of Beamish.

People also flocked to the Vamos Festival, which is running between July 2 and 11.

Bringing ‘Latin spirit to the North East’, it celebrates Latin cultures with events across Newcastle, Gateshead, Middlesbrough and North Tyneside, including Live Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling, secret restaurants in Latin homes and 10 days of traditional Latin music.

Performers included Tango Gypsy trio Zingaros from Argentina, Afro-Peruvian’s Chinchiví and a rare performance by the Flamencos del Norte group playing Bossa and Flamenco.