LIHU‘E — Bicycling enthusiasts will meet at Kalena Park at 4:30 p.m. Saturday for the Bikes on Rice group’s monthly community ride through and around Lihu‘e.
This is one of the changes taking place in support of the Downtown Lihu‘e Night Market that takes place on the second Saturday of each month, the schedule change for Bikes on Rice designed to bring more people to the market as the group departs Kalena Street in COVID-influenced groups to return insufficient time to patronize the market set up on Kress Street.
Lexi Jones, the market manager, made her tour of Kalena Park, ensuring the park was safe to accommodate the group. One of her tasks involved checking out Kress Street, posting parking advisory signage ahead of the market that runs from 4 to 8 p.m., and cleaning the street of rubbish.
One of the improvements to the street includes the cleaning and grooming of the alley between Robert’s Jewelry building, the home of the Alakoko store, and the former Kaua‘i Realty building.
“This is workshop space where we do Alakoko workshops,” said Krystl Apeles of Alakoko. “Dr. Addison Bulosan did most of the heavy lifting himself. He literally dug up the overgrowth, and even one of the tables is from his Specific Chiropractic shop. His friend donated the gravel. If people are looking for a place to do workshops, this is available. They can make appointments by calling Alakoko at 808-378-4733.
The space, decorated by artist Kayti Latrop, the same artist who did the frontage of Alakoko and Robert’s, and features a semi-open air space with ample seating.
Apeles said Alakoko uses the space on the third Wednesday of each month for its business mentorship workshops with Robbie Melton from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Following that, the Mo‘olelo Murals artists host Paint Paina, a painting workshop with pupu and refreshments as a fundraiser for Mo‘olelo Murals.
The Mo‘olelo Murals artist is central to the Friday Night Art program that takes place on Kress Street from 2 to 6 p.m., Fridays according to the information posted on a banner on Kress Street.
“We have about 38 vendors participating, tomorrow,” Jones said. “I have to clean the streets in the morning.”
The next Bikes on Rice community ride, sponsored by Get Fit Kaua‘i, the County of Kaua‘i, and Wai‘oli Properties, Inc., takes place April 9, meeting at Kalena Park at 4:30 p.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
