KAPA‘A — Kendall Andersland was stoked Saturday night following a full day of work with The Monkeypod Jam.
“I just won the push-up contest at Work It Out with 45,” Andersland said. “Earlier, I got to perform at the Tropical Tantrum before Vic and the Victims, and now, we have to check out Live Laugh Aloha!”
Tropical Tantrum was busy celebrating its first First Saturday event. Shop owner Bill Bethke was occupied with flipping burgers from a grill situated between two parked cars on Kuhio Highway.
Traffic slowed for the din of several bands playing on the street, and the wafting aroma of Bethke’s grilled burgers only served to whet motorists’ appetites from their stalled steel steeds.
“This is fabulous,” said Debbie Murray, a Tropical Tantrums staffer. “We’re having a real party.”
Just down the block, Bobby Kubota of Pono Market was out checking the activity on the sidewalks. Pono Market was spearheaded by Bobby’s son, Coach Bobby Kubota, who was busy behind the pupu tray offerings and the free wine tasting taking place at the back of the shop.
“I’m so glad this event is growing,” the elder Bobby said during his stroll along the vendor-filled sidewalks.
A shopper said having Tropical Tantrum join in the First Celebration event was a key to anchoring that end of the street.
On the other end of town, Neil Samms of Orchid Alley was contemplating putting in a door at his unique pocket of orchid displays and nursery.
“This alley is where they have the fire dancing,” Samms said. “By putting in a doorway, people can just enter the alley from here without having to go back out to the street and re-entering the alley.”
But that project could not be completed as bamboo flaps concealed the progress made on the egress.
“He just didn’t have enough time to get it done,” said Fely Samms while helping customers in the unique alley decorated with overhead lamps.
Finnley Garcia, 6, did not mind, carefully cradling a bromeliad purchase in two hands and being very mindful of the steps he took leaving the shop.
“He really wanted this plant,” his mother said, smiling. “He saved all his money and used it to get this.”
First Saturday is celebrated by various vendors in downtown Kapa‘a on the first Saturday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m. when the sidewalks come alive with a variety of live music, merchant specials and a throng of people waiting to experience the excitement.
“We’ve been pretty busy,” said Jeni Kaohelauli‘i of Work It Out, which featured Hawaiian checkers, or konane, by her father John. “But we’ve got to take a break and get something to eat before everything shuts down.”
John Kaohelauli‘i had come from a day at the Kaua‘i Museum ‘Ohana Day where he had set up activity stations for people to become acquainted with the ancient Hawaiian game of “Last Move Wins.”
“We had more than 15 people go through the museum today,” John said. “That is a great way to launch the konane tournament the museum will have in October. We’ll be back during the September ‘Ohana Day event and in October, we’ll have a full workshop just before the tournament starts.”
• Dennis Fujimoto can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
