Halau Manu Le‘a Hawaii Hula and Easter Fashion Show with Nake‘u Awai is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 4, at the Honokaa Hongwanji.
If you have never seen Nake‘u’s beautiful aloha attire, you are in for an incredible treat. He designs and creates gorgeous and unique fashions for women, men and children. Since he comes to our island usually only once a year to sell at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair, this is your opportunity to see and purchase something lovely before the hula festival.
The halau, under the direction of kumu hula Alva Kamalani, hopes to use funds generated by this event for a first-ever educational trip to Kauai this June. While on Kauai, halau members would learn about making Hawaiian salt in Hanapepe and visit and dance at the hula heiau in Ha‘ena. As an extra treat, there will be a special door prize of a free Rainforest Canopy Zipline for two or Segway Adventure donated by Botanical World Adventures.
Tickets are $20. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Phyllis Tarail at 769-4490 or email ptarail@yahoo.com or call Kamalani at 333-6399 or email Kamalani@unforgettable.com.
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Waimea Hawaiian Civic Club’s annual Poi Supper is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Kuhio Hale (Waimea Hawaiian Homes Hall).
Timed to almost coincide with the annual March 26 celebration of Prince Kuhio, the gathering will include a delicious poi supper of kalua pig, lomi salmon, chicken long rice, squid luau, poi, rice and haupia, plus live entertainment, a tempting silent auction and a lei contest. Also, the club’s Prince Kuhio storyboard will be on display. Takeouts are welcome, too.
Tickets are $20 and available from all WHCC members or by calling Edie Kawai and Maulili Dickson at 885-8676.
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Waimea’s free lei-making workshop is offered to help keep ‘unique-to-Waimea traditions’ alive.
Several of Waimeaʻs noted lei makers will provide instruction on how to make lei that have become a signature of this upcountry rural ranching community. This event is from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 4, at the Waimea Homestead Farmers’ Market.
Attendees are encouraged to participate in the hands-on demonstrations led by lei maker Tootsie Weller and several other highly regarded lei makers including Patsy Shiogi. They will provide instruction on how to make lei of ti and kukui leaves, akulikuli flowers, single orchid, lantern ilima, tuberose and Chinese lily. They also will provide instruction in haku, wili and kui lei making techniques.
Hands-on participation is encouraged and donations of flowers and foliage are welcome, including palapalai, kupukupu, laua‘e and pala‘a ferns.
Participants are encouraged to enter their leis in the lei contest the same evening in conjunction with the Waimea Hawaiian Civic Club’s Scholarship Fundraising Poi Supper.
Participants in the lei workshops also are urged to make and wear lei to Waimea Middle School’s annual May Day presentations Friday, May 22, at Thelma Parker Memorial Gym. Doors will open for the performances at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
The presentations are free and everyone is invited. Both programs will feature WMS’ May Day court. In addition, the morning program will spotlight middle school student performances while the evening program will include dance presentations by virtually all of the schools and many of the halau of Waimea.
For more information about the lei workshop, call Weller at 960-1183 or email kaleonapua@aol.com.
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Mala‘ai School Garden’s 10-Year, 10,000-Strong Celebration was rescheduled to 1:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the garden.
This event was postponed because of inclement weather. All Waimea Middle School students, faculty, staff, families and community friends are invited to join in a pule and protocol celebration and then form a giant circle around the verdant 1-acre garden for an aerial photo.
The gathering will celebrate this community’s gratitude to all the helping hands and hearts who during the past 10 years have contributed to creating this school garden, which has transformed the lives of children and families. Festivities also will help plant dreams and aspirations for the next 10-plus years.
The celebration is free and very informal. Families and community friends are asked to park outside the back gate and walk in. Please drive carefully, watching for students.
Students will be released at 2 p.m., then garden tours will be available along with tea and cookies.
For more information, email Alethea@malaai.org or visit www.malaai.org.
To reach the Kokua Way, email waiukahenutz@gmail.com or call 936-0067.
