PO‘IPU — Diane Hughes would have preferred if the Garden Isle Artisan Fair was at its originally scheduled site, but did not complain Saturday. Hughes was representing Keala Kai, a specialist in pencil art drawings of ancient Hawaiian artifacts and
PO‘IPU — Diane Hughes would have preferred if the Garden Isle Artisan Fair was at its originally scheduled site, but did not complain Saturday.
Hughes was representing Keala Kai, a specialist in pencil art drawings of ancient Hawaiian artifacts and voyaging canoes, who was aboard the Hokule‘a, the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s canoe, which docked in Hanalei Saturday.
Kai started moving some of his artwork onto shirts which were being sold by Hughes, and met with a warm reception due to the unique renderings.
Judy Webb, the event coordinator, said the craft fair was scheduled for Hanalei, but due to a condition in the contract between the park’s owners and the county, there will be no more craft fairs at that site.
Hughes moved to the Po‘ipu Manokalanipo‘o park, owned by the county and not subject to the “no craft fairs” condition imposed at Hanalei.
“We always try and keep the fair small,” Webb said. “We’ve got a capacity of 44 vendors, but there are 40 vendors under the tent today.”
Joe Adorno of Two Guys With Aloha Shirts was one of those vendors, the Po‘ipu event being his third in a week.
He also appeared at the inaugural monthly All Saints Church farmer’s market last Saturday and was among the charter vendors at the Kaua‘i Markets which celebrated its grand opening Wednesday at the Restore facility adjacent to Esaki’s Produce in Kapa‘a.
“We’ll be at the Kaua‘i Markets Wednesday, and then probably at the Koloa Plantation Days craft fair,” Adorno said.
Lyle Martell of Kekaha was another vendor offering his unique hand-painted glassware, also expanding to have several pieces done on wood.
Martell, whose son is a teacher at Elsie Wilcox Elementary School, is a regular participant at the Kaua‘i Handworks fair which is coming up the Saturday following Thanksgiving at the Wilcox School cafeteria.
Vicky Ramos, a crochet artist, is another one of the Kaua‘i Handworks crafters who had a table offering a variety of bags in Po‘ipu.
Webb said following the Saturday event, she’ll evaluate the situation and will release details on the next Garden Isle Artisan Fair.
