Colourful kites of all shapes and sizes filled the skies as thousands of people celebrated Good Friday at Horseshoe Bay.

Drizzly rain and overcast weather ensured numbers were down on previous years, but swirling winds for parts of the afternoon helped provide good conditions for kite flyers.

Dragons, sharks, tropical fish, birds of prey and butterflies were among the creations taking to the South Shore skies, while a handful of traditional Bermudian homemade efforts, constructed from tissue paper and wood, were also on show.

Gombeys, singers and bands provided additional entertainment as the annual festivities lasted for most of the day, with an estimated 2,000 people joining in the fun.

Jeanann Bassett, 46, from Warwick, was one of the first people to get her kite up in the morning, before the winds had picked up speed.

“I had to fight to get my kite up — it was sheer determination,” she said. “There was hardly any wind at all. A lot of people will have seen there weren’t many kites up early on and not bothered to come along. The wind got better later on though.”

Mike Beattie, 50, from Paget, said better kite-flying weather at the start of the day would have helped provide an even more spectacular sky.

“I come here every year, but this time I didn’t bother bringing my kite because there wasn’t enough wind early on,” he said.

“I love the entertainment though. I took pictures of the Gombeys — they’re always good fun.”

Bianca Kimber, 31, from Devonshire, said: “It’s a shame about the rain, but there’s not much you can do about that. People can still have a good time though.”

Stuart Roberts, 28, from Southampton, who was flying a falcon, said while there may not have been as many kites as previous years, there were still plenty of battles for space in the sky. He said: “There’s a blue butterfly which seems to have a mind of its own and keeps getting in the way — it’s a menace.”

Raymond Mehr, 69, from Arizona, said: “We’re having a wonderful time, it’s an excellent day.”

The event was organised by Young United, the youth wing of the United Bermuda Party.

Billy Lesane, from the Tupac Shukar Performing Arts Centre in Georgia, who was invited over by the UBP, said: “I love it man. How can you not love it? I have never seen anything like this in all my life. The people are wonderful and the beach is beautiful. This reminds me of what God’s country is supposed to look like.”

Young United president Kim Caines said: “It’s been a success in spite of the weather. It shows that even if the weather is not great, Bermudians will come out.”

UBP Senator Gina Spence-Farmer, who helped co-ordinate proceedings, said: “We are very pleased that people came out in the rain. It’s been a tough day but there’s been a flow of people coming to the beach all day. It speaks a lot of the Easter spirit and celebration.”