KAPA‘A — Erin Millard had never carved a jack-o-lantern. That was until Friday when she heard an announcement on the radio. Millard stopped by Esaki’s Produce across from the New Kapa‘a Town Park, and with the help of Doug Fujii
KAPA‘A — Erin Millard had never carved a jack-o-lantern. That was until Friday when she heard an announcement on the radio.
Millard stopped by Esaki’s Produce across from the New Kapa‘a Town Park, and with the help of Doug Fujii and Kaimana Kuahiwinui, selected three pumpkins to decorate for Halloween.
“I’ve never carved one before in my life,” she said. “When I heard they were selling pumpkins here, I had to stop and see what it was about.”
Earl Kashiwagi of Esaki’s Produce said Halloween is kind of like the New Year’s holiday in that if it falls on a weekend, sales tend to be more brisk than if the holiday falls in the middle of the week.
“We had a lot of tubs this morning, but about 20 went out on deliveries already because stores were selling out,” he said. “Normally, if we get four or five tubs out, that’s good. We had 40 tubs to start with, and we’re down to just whatever’s left — which is about two or three.”
When a holiday falls on a weekend, people have more time to spend with family and friends resulting in more sales, Kashiwagi said. If the holiday is on a weekday, people are more concerned about having to work the next day.
Supplementing the radio announcement, the Esaki’s Produce crew had erected a canvas sign announcing “Halloween pumpkins sold here,” attracting more people making their way to the county’s recycling bins.
Among the offerings which was categorized as small, medium and large, Kashiwagi also had a sprinkling of giant pumpkins, the largest one tipping the scale at 127 pounds, noting that they would probably go toward some display on the island.
In addition to the pumpkins, he also had colored dried corn, decorative squashes and miniature pumpkins, some coming in already decorated with painted faces.
“This is getting to be as big a holiday as New Year’s,” Kashiwagi said. “But like any holiday, it’s a gamble. We took the gamble and brought in the pumpkins, and we’re lucky because people are buying.”
With the spirit of the season flowing through his blood, Kashiwagi said he is thinking of adding a few bales of straw for next year’s orders to spruce up the display his crews set up at the wholesale produce warehouse.
“Remember the old days when we had to rummage through our parents’ old clothes for costumes and carving out green papaya to make jack-o-lanterns?” Kashiwagi said. “Today, people go out and buy costumes and pumpkins for carving.”
Kashiwagi said Esaki’s annually provides its employees pumpkins so they can try their hand at carving Halloween pumpkins.
