Dan's Papers Kite Fly Is Back for 2023 at Sagg Main Beach August 13

This is one of the longest running events in the Hamptons. Started in 1972, it’s been held every year since, except a few years when it was cancelled by sharks, tornadoes and floods. But not traffic. Parking rules are suspended for the duration of the Kite Fly — between 5 and 6:30 p.m. so parking has always been free.

Hundreds of the folks who attended those first few years have come back, later bringing their kids and even later, bringing their grandkids.

Cost? You can afford it. $80 a kid might seem to be a lot. But it’s worth it. No? How about $50 a kid. Still no? Well how about for FREE. The Dan’s Papers Kite Fly has been held without charge every single year since its founding. No Hamptons event has ever taken place for free for 51 years in a row like this. Enjoy.

When you come down Sagg Main toward the Kite Fly, even if it’s before the witching hour of 5 o’clock, you will see hovering over the beach 50 or more kites, each one more fantastic than any other. Park your car. Bring out your kids and their kites, and walk across the sand to our Control Tower — you can’t miss it — a folding table with prizes and drinks and other stuff on it and a few of our volunteers.

Dan’s Kite Fly Contest

Check in, no actually you don’t check in, you simply spread out a blanket, reel out your line, run your kite into the sky with the others and well, we will see your kite up there and, about 5:30 p.m. when the sky is full of hovering buzzards, sailing ships, balloon kites, condor kites, biplanes and whatever, a group of judges from Dan’s Papers will wander out amid the assembled throng of beach goers, look up and see a winner in one of the many categories, follow the string down to some kid or adult holding the string and tell them they won a prize in a particular category.

These categories include: most beautiful kite, the most newsworthy kite, the highest-flying kite, the smallest, the best homemade kite, the scariest, the oldest kite flyer, the youngest kite flyer, the biggest kite, the ugliest kite and the kite flyer in the best costume. Winners return to the Control Tower to claim their prize.

A warning about one of the prizes. Highest-flying kite can only be awarded to a kite which is not so far up as not to be able to be seen. So if you can’t see it, reel it in a bit and invite the judge to have a second look. And, of course, the decision of the judges is final.

As the Kite Fly proceeds, entrants will be entertained by the legendary Jim Turner Band, who has been down at our Kite Fly for many, many years. And there may be other volunteers.

At 6:30 p.m., the windsock hovering over the Flight Control Tower will be hauled down and this wonderful day will be over.