HANALEI — After taking a break last year because of a smaller harvest, this year’s Wa‘ipa Mango Festival is on. “We are excited to be able to host the festival this year with the abundance of mangos this summer,” said
HANALEI — After taking a break last year because of a smaller harvest, this year’s Wa‘ipa Mango Festival is on.
“We are excited to be able to host the festival this year with the abundance of mangos this summer,” said Kalen Kelekoma, site and program manager for the Wa‘ipa Foundation.
The festival will be held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wa‘ipa Foundation, a half mile past Hanalei School. Admission is $1 for adults and children are free.
“What started in 2009 as a fruit-grafting seminar focusing on mangoes has evolved into a small-town festival to celebrate all the delicious aspects of the fruit, inspire creativity and provide an opportunity to share technical knowledge and love for mangos. Why not, when folks have mangoes lying around on the ground and are baking, cooking and creating with them anyway?,” Kalen states in a release.
Events include music, local artisans, fresh fruits and vegetables, mango-inspired prepared foods, mango-growers’ seminars and a mango-recipe contest.
Mango foods include mango-glazed smoked pork, mango beer batter fish tacos with mango salsa, mango ice cream and mango bread.
Grower workshops offered are: Grafting & Tree Management at noon and Pruning & Feeding at 2 p.m. Advance reservations are required and a $10 donation is requested. Call 631-4112 for information or reservations.
Mango recipe contest entries are due at 12:30 p.m. with judging to occur at 1 p.m. in two categories, pickled and dessert.
Visit www.facebook.com/waipa.foundation for more information.
The Wa‘ipa Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is working to restore Wa‘ipa as a Native Hawaiian learning and community center where Hawaiians and the community can renew ties to the land and resources, the culture and a more traditional lifestyle, according to its website.
