|
|||||
 The 19tth annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival has a full lineup of multi-cultural performing arts, hands-on demonstrations, over 100 crafters, a new quilt show and food booths 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 at various venues sprawling through town—look for pink banners identifying site locations. Organized by members of the upcountry community and the county’s department of parks and recreation, the festival marks the blooming of the historic cherry trees at Church Row Park and celebrates the age-old Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to “cherry blossom viewing party.” After a seasonal winter chill, the trees typically are blooming in February. This year’s community festival is part of the nationwide 100-year anniversary that marks the 1912 planting of cherry trees along the Potomac River in Washington D.C. The Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial celebration features the planting of cherry trees across the nation as a continued symbol of friendship between the two countries. Using seeds presented from the Embassy of Japan that are especially suited to Hawaii’s climate, seedlings were cultivated last fall for planting at the festival. One seedling, Cerasus jamasakura Cv. Sendaiya, will be ceremoniously planted 10:30 a.m. in Church Row Park by Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi; Yoshihiko Kamo, Consul General of Japan in Honolulu; and Dr. Tetsuo Koyama, director of the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, This year’s festival also commemorates three paniolo: Charles T. Kimura, Charles T. Onaka and Jamie Dowsett. The Big Isle residents will be recognized by Mayor Kenoi during opening festivities on the entertainment stage behind Parker Ranch Center. The official festival program will be included just prior to the event in the North Hawaii News and also distributed at festival venues. It includes a map with activity locations and details on the many presenting organizations. Festival parking is available at Parker Ranch Center and the soccer field across Church Row Park. A free shuttle offers transportation among festival venues with stops at Parker Ranch Historic Homes on Hwy. 190, Parker Ranch Center’s back parking lot and Church Row Park. A quick rundown of festival activities at various locations follows (times are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. unless specified otherwise). Church Row Park
• Historical Cherry Tree Display: Waimea Lions’ Club offers a pictorial history of the cherry trees and serves as the festival’s official Lost and Found station. The Lions will also collect used eyeglasses, offer vision screening and sell pancake breakfast tickets
• Bonsai: The Waimea Bonyu Kai Bonsai Club offers a display and sale of bonsai, ongoing demonstrations and a clinic to discuss and work on the art of bonsai
• Cooking Demos at Kamuela Hongwanji: Big Isle chefs offer cooking demonstrations with free samples
• Japanese Cultural Demos/Entertainment at Kamuela Hongwanji: Enjoy taiko drumming and learn the time-honored art of origami by Kikuko Kibe and furoshiki (gift wrapping cloth)
• Asian Collectibles/Food Sales at Kamuela Hongwanji: Church organizations sell Asian-themed collectibles, cherry blossom note cards, lanterns made from recycled beverage cans, cherry tree seedlings and cherry blossoms in mugs, temple cookbooks. Asian foods: Inari sushi, teriyaki chicken bowl, nishime, manju, andagi and prune mui.
• Cherry Tree Planting: Seedling planted by dignitaries as part of the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial, 10:30 a.m., Hamakua end of park
• Martial Arts Demonstrations throughout the day
• Food Sales at Imiola Church: Saimin, cherry ice cream and local delicacies
Parker Ranch Center- Hwy. 19
• Festival Entertainment Stage: In the back parking lot. Opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. kick off continuous entertainment until 3 p.m.: Bon Odori Taiko, bon dance, Japanese Preschool presentation, Kumu Hula Michael Pang’s Hula Halau Ka Noeau, Randy Lorenzo & Friends, Kenny Endo’s Taiko, Darlene Ahuna, Kuhao Case and Tai Shoji Taiko.
• Craft Fair: Over 100 crafters inside Center and in the back parking lot, cherry tree seedlings for sale in back parking lot
• Mochi Tsuki Pounding: Help pound mochi using 500 pounds of rice with the Kona Hongwanji Mission outside the Fireside Food Court starting 10 a.m.; free samples
Mana Christian Ohana Church – (Formerly Kahilu Town Hall) Behind Parker Ranch Center
• Ka Hui Kapa Apana O Waimea’s Festival of Quilts: Show by six clubs: Sew N Sews of Waikoloa, Anuenue Quilters of North Hawaii, Mauna Kea Quilters, Laulima O Hamakua, Sew Fun After School and the host Ka Hui Kapa Apana. Show honors the late Nancy Donigan and displays the commemorative Aloha Airlines Quilt and sells crafts. Open 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Car Show: Hamakua side of parking lot
Waimea Historic Corner-Hwys. 19/190 intersection
Firehouse Gallery Art Demos/Exhibition: Waimea Arts Council (WAC) presents a members’ invitational show with a cherry blossom theme. WAC members demonstrate paper, painting and drawing, plus sidewalk chalk drawings for all ages, while Waimea Community Theatre presents scenes from the upcoming production, “The Hollow.” From 11 am to 2 pm Kohala Taco & Burger will offering tacos as a fundraiser for the arts organization.
Parker School-Hwy. 19
Waimea Town Market/Performing Arts: Farmers Market open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. with calligraphy instruction, on-site stone oven featured fresh-baked bread, artisan products sale and a performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii-Kohala at 10 and 11 a.m., plus Okinawan dance.
Parker Ranch Historic Homes-Hwy. 190
Cultural Demos/Performing Arts/Food: Enjoy ritual Japanese tea ceremony led by Emi Wakayama, the Sakura Ensemble on shakuhachi (bamboo flute) clarinet and piano; plus a display of oriental art and kimonos. Portuguese bean soup, smoked meat bowls and malasadas will be served.
Paniolo Heritage Center at Historic Pukalani Stables - End of Pukalani St. (turn south off Hwy. 19 at Ace Hardware)
Paniolo Kepani-Hawaii’s Japanese Cowboys!: Enjoy a Cowboy Breakfast featuring Paniolo Loco Moco with smoked meat and authentic paniolo pancakes 8-10 a.m. for $12 donation (tickets at Kamuela Liquor Store, Parker Ranch Store or at the door first come), a Japanese cowboy exhibit including master saddlemaker Alvin Kawamoto with talk story sessions by Paniolo Preservation Society featuring Japanese and Hawaiian cultural practices; visit the mini-museum display of historic ranching artifacts and photos, taste two of Waimea’s new Big Island Brewhaus hand-crafted beers from 11 a.m. until the kegs run dry, and learn to play Japanese card game, Hanafuda, with Milton Yamasaki and friends from Tutu’s House. All free except breakfast.
Topstitch-Holomua Center, Kamamalu St.
Quilt Exhibit: by the Mauna Kea Quilters Guild. Make It and Take It free activity.
Kamuela Liquors-Hwy. 19
Sake Tasting: Noon-3 p.m.
Kuhio Hale-Hwy. 19
Waimea Homesteaders Farmer’s Market: More than 20 members of the Hawaiian Homestead Market offer a variety of products 7 a.m.-noon
Ginger Farm- (old Anderson Homestead) MM 55 across from Puu Nani St. on Hwy. 19
Japanese Home Tour/Tea Tasting/Art Fun: Self-guided tour through traditional Japanese style home; Parker School students serve cherry tea and show keiki how to make a cherry blossom hanging scroll.
The Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival is produced by the Hawai’i County Parks and Recreation Department. Overseen by the park’s culture education administrator, Roxcie Waltjen, the festival is a community-wide effort by a dedicated team of volunteers, 961-8706.
At the Kawaihae Local Resource Council (KLRC) meeting on Sunday, February 5, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Sal Panem, Hawaii Island District Engineer with the Department of Transportation, Highways Division, will update the community on the Kawaihae Harbor Bypass project as well as pedestrian safety concerns and parking along the roadway near the business district. KLRC meetings are held monthly at the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory Visitors Center. Follow the yellow signs Mauka of Akoni Pule Highway on Maluokalani Street. KLRC meetings are hosted by the Kailapa Community Association, a not for profit corporation serving more than 120 families residing in Kailapa Hawaiian Homestead Lands in Kawaihae. For more information contact Association President Diane Kanealii, phone: 808-880-9798.
On Saturday, January 28, join the Kohala Watershed Partnership to help protect the forest in one of our most stunning preserves on Kohala Mountain: Pu’u Pili at Kahua Ranch. This 270-acre preserve is a gem of Kohala Mountain biodiversity—and we will be working to control the non-native plants that threaten it. Our main focus will be on kahili ginger, and our control methods include cutting the stems and applying a squirt of herbicide. Over the past three years, our volunteer teams have cleared more than 6 acres of ginger from the understory, and the result is a resurgence of native plants! Hurrah! This day will likely be very wet, muddy and cold, so please be prepared! Bring along lunch and water, and we will provide tools, gloves and snacks. Meet at the back parking lot of the Kohala Center on Kawaihae Rd at 8:30am. We will load up the KWP van and carpool to the ranch. We should be back in Waimea by 3:30pm. RSVP to: Coordinator@kohalawatershed.org Volunteer days for the next couple months are Saturdays: 2/11, 2/25, 3/24, 4/14, 4/28, 5/12, 5/26. Mark your calendars and join us! Appointments are now being made for this free service provided by the AARP Foundation in conjunction with the IRS. The service will open Feb. 3 and run every Friday and Monday from 9 a.m. To 1 p.m. throughout tax season (except Mon., Feb. 20, Presidents’ Day and Friday, Feb. 24), ending April 16, 2012 at Tutu’s House. The Hawai’i County Environmental Management Commission will meet at W.M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Highway, at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25. The Commission meets bi-monthly and rotates its meetings between Hilo, Kona, and Waimea. Click this link for the agenda. At its January meeting, the Waimea Community Association elected re-elected Sherm Warner to a second two-year term as President and elected Patti Cook to a two-year term as Vice-President. Nancy Carr-Smith has been named by the board to replace Patti Cook as Secretary and will serve out the balance of the term that Patti vacated in order to run for Vice-President. Anne Field-Gomes has been named by the board to fill the vacant Treasurer position; she will continue to serve as Sergeant-At-Arms. In a January 6 decision, the Hawai’i Supreme Court ruled in favor of plaintiffs Senator Malama Solomon, Patti Cook, and others and concluded that the 2011 Final Reapportionment Plan disregarded the Hawai’i Constitution by including non-permanent residents. The Court directed the Commission to file a new plan. That plan will result in an additional State Senate seat for the Big Island and possibly another House seat as well. Read the full decision here.  (L-R) Kamakamae O’Dell, Jaycie Carvalho, Kealia Haitsuka, Hi‘ilei O’Dell and Ikena Nakoa. ‘Na Hala Ekolu’ will be one of several Halau o Po’ohala hula classes performing during the Feb. 4 final “Eia Ka Hula” trilogy presentation at Kahilu Theatre. To culminate the 150th anniversary of the Beamer-Solomon Hula Halau O Po’ohala, Waimea’s traditional hula school will present the third and final “Eia ka Hula (Behold the Hula), E Hula Mai Kakou (Come and Dance)” Trilogy performance at Kahilu Theater from 6-8 p.m., Sat., Feb. 4, 2012. Doors open at 5 p.m. and seating is first come. |
|
||||
|
Copyright © 2012 Waimea Community Association - All Rights Reserved |
|||||
