Carol Yurth’s column is published every Sunday and spotlights activities on the Hilo-Hamakua coast. She welcomes items for her column. Reach her by mail (46-1240 Kalehua Road, Honokaa HI 96727) at least 10 days before the requested publication date, call her at 775-7101, or e-mail waiukahe@interpac.net.
A free community event, a Hawaiian cultural workshop, will be presented today at Akiko’s Buddhist Bed and Breakfast in Wailea.
A Hawaiian woman healer will be coming, there is a cooking demo, plus everyone gets to eat the food prepared.
Come from 1 to 4 p.m. for this free workshop sponsored by the Hawaiian Civic Club Keali’i Pauahi. The Hawaiian Civic Club of Hilo and Laupahoehoe is making this happen! This is a most unique opportunity to participate in the spirit and culture of “our” home, to be amongst Hawaiian elders, our kupuna. A gift indeed.
Come and share, come and shop. Let’s wish each other a good year of friendship and good health. Akiko Masuda shares: “We live in a precious place, and we are all a part of this great place we call home. We are being fed, and feeding each other in so many ways.”
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The Laupahoehoe Music Festival is coming closer. It’s set for Feb. 18 at the Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please come join in at the seventh annual festival for a fun all-day event featuring some of the best of Hawaii’s live music and hula. This family friendly fundraiser is held yearly in February at beautiful Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park to provide college scholarships for area students and support community projects.
This February’s lineup includes Mark Yamanaka, Times 5, Lorna Lim & Polinahe with Sonny Lim, Darlene Ahuna, Kanakapila, Kunoa, the Laupahoehoe High School Ukulele Band and the Honokaa High School Jazz Band, with hula by Halau O Mailelaulani and Halau O Ke Anuenue. Festival food vendors will offer a wide variety of tastes and vegetarian grinds. Local crafts will be for sale.
Admission for age 10 and under is free. This is a drug and alcohol free event. No coolers please. Presale tickets are $10 and gate tickets will be priced at $15. Tickets are on sale at ’50s Highway Fountain in Laupahoehoe; Sakado Store in Laupahoehoe; Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles in Hilo; Taro Patch in Honokaa; Mr. Ed’s Bakery in Honomu, and at Music Exchange in Hilo, Waimea and Kona. For more info and updates, please visit www.laupahoehoemusicfestival.com or email laupahoehoemusic@hotmail.com
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There is an upcoming sustainable agriculture skill panel forum, sponsored by the state Department of Agriculture, on Tuesdayfrom 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held in Hilo at the Nani Mau Gardens.
The goal of the meeting is to identify workforce development priorities for the Big Island in the field of agriculture. Collectively, participants will discuss the current realities of ag production, including opportunities, barriers, and priorities around four main topics: innovation and sustainability, regulatory issues, education and training, and infrastructure and marketing.
The aim is to have as many Big Island agricultural producers in attendance as possible. People working in the industry know best about the opportunities and challenges facing producers, and it would be great if you have the time to share your concerns and identify ways for agriculture on Big Island to move forward.
Many of you are probably working on your farms that day, but please come if you can. If you would like to participate, please email or call in your confirmation ASAP to Stan Fichtman at Stanford.J.Fichtman@hawaii.gov or 586-8672. If you have already RSVP’d, thank you!
Directions to the garden are found on the Nani Mau website: http://www.nanimaugardens.com/
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The 19h annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival has a full lineup of multicultural performing arts, hands-on demonstrations, over 100 crafters, a new quilt show and food booths from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at various venues sprawling through town. Look for pink banners identifying site locations.
Organized by members of the upcountry community and the county’s department of parks and recreation, the festival marks the blooming of the historic cherry trees at Church Row Park and celebrates the age-old Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to “cherry blossom viewing party.” After a seasonal winter chill, the trees typically are blooming in February.
This year’s community festival is part of the nationwide 100-year anniversary that marks the 1912 planting of cherry trees along the Potomac River in Washington D.C. The Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial celebration features the planting of cherry trees across the nation as a continued symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Using seeds presented from the Embassy of Japan that are especially suited to Hawaii’s climate, seedlings were cultivated last fall for planting at the festival. One will be ceremoniously planted at 10:30 a.m. in Church Row Park by Mayor Billy Kenoi; Yoshihiko Kamo, the consul general of Japan in Honolulu; and Tetsuo Koyama, director of the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden.
This year’s festival also commemorates three paniolo: Charles T. Kimura, Charles T. Onaka and Jamie Dowsett. The Big Isle residents will be recognized by Mayor Kenoi during opening festivities on the entertainment stage behind Parker Ranch Center.
Carol Yurth’s column is published every Sunday and spotlights activities on the Hilo-Hamakua coast. She welcomes items for her column. Reach her by mail (46-1240 Kalehua Road, Honokaa HI 96727) at least 10 days before the requested publication date, call her at 775-7101, or e-mail waiukahe@interpac.net.