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LOCAL Wednesday 8 OctOber 2025

Aruba’s kite flying tradition

(Oranjestad)—Every year from flour, water and salt especially important, and
for King’s Day, Arubans to dry faster (some people children would use paint to
gather with friends and even use cornstarch slurry create their own designs—
family to fly kites. Big or as glue), kids usually make the more colorful, the bet-
small, paper or plastic, their own kites with their ter!
blue skies fill up with these friends, parents or other
colorful flying contraptions, close family members. Tails People usually fly their kites
brightening our yearly cel- are made from old bed in big open fields, like emp-
ebration of the Dutch Mon- sheets, ripped and tied ty soccer and baseball
arch. together to create a long fields found all around the
string of fabric trailing be- island around noon, when
The tradition of flying kites hind the back end of the the sun is at its brightest.
starts at home in the weeks kite. To finish off the pro-
leading up to King’s Day. cess, people used fish lines In the past few years, kite For this year’s celebration, Gather your family and be
These kites were tradition- or thin rope to tie three cor- flying has become a sport Centro di Bario Playa Pa- a part of this colorful Aru-
ally made with things found ners of the kite together. in which groups of people bao located in Madiki is ban tradition in celebration
in the nearby mondi* and Another long string of rope would battle against each organizing another edition of our King Willem-Alexan-
in the kitchen at home. Us- is tied in the knotted center other to see whose kite is of their kite flying event der’s birthday!
ing dried up cactus sticks and bundled up, used to the biggest, the prettiest, with different categories of
for the frame, old news steer the kite as it flies in the and whose could fly flaw- height starting at 8AM. *Mondi: Aruban woods.q
papers, and glue made air. Decorating the kite was lessly and longer in the air.

Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas

SAN NICOLAS— At Just 11 by the oil industry since the until the 1960’s. To this day San Nicolas has it. collection of artifacts and
miles southeast from Oran- early 1930’s. traces of the multicultural other objects of artistic, cul-
jestad you will enter the city influences in culinary offer- The Museum of Industry is tural, historical, or scientific
San Nicolas, also known as Over the course of four de- ings and customs, housing situated in the Water Tower importance can be found
Sunrise City or Chocolate cades, its demographics and population are clearly in San Nicolas and narrates here for the purpose of ed-
City. A city that is rich in had changed immensely visible in San Nicolas – more Aruba’s industrial history ucation or enjoyment.
authentic culture and is- due to a stream of Afro-Ca- than anywhere else on the which began in the 19th
land charm. San Nicolas is ribbean and South Ameri- island. century. Here you will learn The new San Nicolas
Aruba’s second largest city can workers who came about gold, aloe, phos- In the shadow of the refin-
and was once a bustling to fill the jobs in the oil re- Flow of history phate, oil and the tourism ery, an art capital is quietly
company town dominated finery between the 1920’s If you are looking for history industries which made San beginning to grow. This is
Nicolas once a bustling the new San Nicolas, a
business center. Experi- place that is starting to be-
ence the touching stories come a magnet for all that
of those who were part of is young, cool and hip in
this history. Aruba. Indeed, San Nicolas
Nicolaas Store built in 1940 has all of the ingredients of
and renovated in 2014 is an emerging cultural hub
the home of the Communi- — varied history, interesting
ty Museum. The collection is architecture, and, perhaps
remarkable and spans mil- most importantly, an urban
lennia. Ancient fossils stand layout that makes it walk-
next to tableaus of an au- able. As you walk around,
thentically recreated colo- the streets are silent but
nial kitchen and bedroom the walls are loud, filled
and 19th-century barber- with bright, colorful murals
shop, just to name a few of painted by a collection
the items of old-time Aruba of artists from around the
that has been preserved. A world. q