LIHU‘E — The 16th annual Coconut Festival continues today at Kapa‘a Beach Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsored by the Kapa‘a Business Association, the two-day festival features a variety of activities and events for all ages, including live
LIHU‘E — The 16th annual Coconut Festival continues today at Kapa‘a Beach Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsored by the Kapa‘a Business Association, the two-day festival features a variety of activities and events for all ages, including live music, craft fairs, cooking demonstrations, activities and games for children and, of course, the popular Coconut Pie Eating Contest.
“A lot of people want to enter the pie eating contest,” said Event Coordinator Tricia Yamashita. “We might not have enough pies.”
The contest begins at 11:45 a.m. at the Main Stage.
According to Yamashita, the festival sold out of vendor space this year, with 65 craft vendors, 20 nonprofit groups and 12 food vendors.
Yamashita says the festival offers both tourists and locals an opportunity to see “the uniqueness of old Kapa‘a town,” as well as learn about the important uses of coconuts and the trees they come from.
Kap Te‘o-Taifiti, the senior ambassador of the Polynesian Cultural Center on O‘ahu, knows about as much about coconuts as anyone.
“My whole life is coconuts,” he said. “It is a beautiful tree and it gives so much. It is the tree of life, like ‘The Giving Tree.’”
Te‘o-Tafiti is a festival favorite, bringing Polynesian culture to life with several performances throughout the weekend, including fire making, fire dancing, tree climbing, harvesting coconut milk and more.
Te‘o-Tafiti performs today at 10:30 a.m. on the Keiki/Cultural Stage and at 12:15 and 3 p.m. on the Main Stage.
Hawaiian-born singer/songwriter Anuhea will perform at the festival’s Main Stage beginning at 1 p.m. She is a two-time Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner.
Those interested in some tasty recipes are encouraged to stop by the Coconut Cooking Demonstration Tent, where some of Kaua‘i’s best chefs will be preparing coconut-infused dishes. Today’s featured chefs include Greg Stol (Palms Restaurant at Aston Aloha Beach), Gordon Hopkins (Tavern at Princeville) and Joseph Lopez (Eastside Restaurant). The coconut cooking contest begins at 3 p.m.
A variety of games and activities are available for children, including coconut crafts, face painting, a petting zoo and inflatable bounce houses.
The price of entry for the festival is $3 per person. Children ages 12 and under are free.
For more information and a full schedule of events visit http://www.kbakauai.org/Pages/coconut-festival.html.
• Chris D’Angelo, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 241) or lifestyle@thegardenisland.com.
