Honokaa High School is celebrating 135 years of Dragon Pride today through Saturday.
The Meet and Greet starts today at 4 p.m. at the Honokaa High School Football field. It will be followed by the Honokaa High School 135 Years Welcome Dance from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Honokaa Armory. For many, the meet and greet will be the first-time seeing friends and classmates in years.
At 4 p.m., there’s a free alumni dinner by Kenn Acdal, Class of 1972, preparing his famous chicken hekka and pork and peas on the football field next to the new grandstand. There also will be a free souvenir lanyard for all alumni at the Meet and Greet.
On Thursday, there will be a Hawaiian luau dinner, alumni concert and silent auction.
Doors to the Honokaa Cafeteria open at 4:45 p.m. and dinner, with entertainment, is served at 5 p.m. Edwin and Sandy Rapoza, Class of 1985, owners of Hamakua Living, will prepare the ono Hawaiian plate with lau lau, chicken long rice, kalua cabbage, poi and lomi salmon, rice and drink. Pre-sale tickets are $20, $25 at the door, with only 100 plates sold at the door. Call (808) 895-1711 or email yagong1977@gmail.com for ticket information. Music will be provided by Omi DeJesus, Class of 1980, followed by the Beamer-Solomon Halau ‘O Po‘ohala, led by kumu hula Hulali Solomon Covington.
At 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., there’s a free concert at Honokaa Armory featuring talented Honokaa alums, many of whom got their start with the famous Dragon Jazz Band. There’s also be a silent auction.
Friday evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Honokaa High School campus becomes a block party.
There will be two stages with music headlined by Ho‘aikane, Brother Noland and Ryan Hiraoka. There’s also a dance exhibition, waterslides and bouncy-bounce, food trucks and craft vendors, martial arts demonstrations, educational and informational booths, balloon art sculptures, Zumba, aerobics, face paintings, Dragon souvenirs, a photo booth and more.
On Saturday, there will be a parade and all-day festival.
The parade, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., starts at the Honokaa Sports Complex, goes towards the Catholic Church and heads down to Mamane Street, ending at Pakalana Street next to the pool. Floats are not allowed up Pakalana Street and will continue through Mamane Street.
Then, it’s an all-day festival from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the Honokaa High School Campus. Among the plethora of activities, there will be a blessing, presentations, prizes, games and challenges, a tribute to departed Dragons and all-day music by Honokaa faves, including Hiraoka, Abran and Gary Washburn, and Ryan Higgins.
