LIHUE — Hannah Huang spent almost the entire Thursday morning preparing her vegetables for the fair. “I worked all morning, harvesting, washing, and getting everything ready,” Huang, a popular vendor at the farmers markets, said. “Last year, we win eight
LIHUE — Hannah Huang spent almost the entire Thursday morning preparing her vegetables for the fair.
“I worked all morning, harvesting, washing, and getting everything ready,” Huang, a popular vendor at the farmers markets, said. “Last year, we win eight blue ribbons. This year? We’ll wait to see.”
The Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair opened its gates at 6 p.m. with the traditional blessing and honoring of a Farm Bureau family.
“I told them (Wrangler’s Restaurant) we won’t be there, today,” said Roy Oyama, who along with his family, are the honorees. “They know, because today is the fair’s opening day. But we’ll be back there Friday.”
Craig Duff, a new teacher for the Future Farmers of America program at Kauai High School, was getting his feet wet along with his students who help get the registered vegetables and fruits to their proper sections on the show table.
“These are good students,” Duff said. “I’ve only been there two weeks so right now, they’re all good kids.”
Jerry Ornellas, the past Kauai County Farm Bureau president, recognized two of the students, Meranda Jardin and Shaianne Montgomery as interns on his farm for a special program established through the county’s Office of Economic Development.
Daphne McClure of Moloaa Bay Coffee was busy registering her ulu, or breadfruit, for consideration before volunteering at the Kauai Grown booth.
“They need to have a ‘weird’ category,” she said, pulling out a deformed Cara Cara orange. “I was getting the ulu ready this morning and found this thing. It’s weird.”
The fair continues through Sunday night at Vidinha Stadium. Gates open at 6 p.m., and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Fairgoers are reminded that motorist access is through Kaana Street past the police department and the Kauai Bus offices where volunteers from the Puuwai Canoe Club will direct people into the parking area.
Hoolako Street access is limited to permitted vehicles and for Americans with Disabilities Act cars.
There will be no parking along Kapule Highway, and fairgoers are reminded that with the new setup for this year’s fair, there is just one entrance located at the event parking area.
Kauai Community Federal Credit Union Aloha Friday night features the Kauai Coffee Celebrity Chef Cook-off for Charity with Kauai Grown with GEICO sponsoring the entertainment headliner, Anuhea. Other events include the Kauai Cattlemen’s Association Beef Tasting and more.
