Mochi-pounding festivities slated for Dec. 28 in Wailea

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Wailea’s 16th annual New Year’s Mochi Pounding will be hosted 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, at Akiko’s Buddhist Bed &Breakfast in Wailea village, which is mauka of Hawaii Belt Road at the 15-mile marker in Hakalau.

Wailea’s 16th annual New Year’s Mochi Pounding will be hosted 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, at Akiko’s Buddhist Bed &Breakfast in Wailea village, which is mauka of Hawaii Belt Road at the 15-mile marker in Hakalau.

The address is 29-2091 Old Mamalahoa Highway. To get there, turn mauka at the 15-mile marker. Follow the red “mochi” signs. Park at the Hakalau veterans park and walk back in time to Wailea.

Everyone is invited to join in this traditional mochi (sweet rice) pounding and rice cake making for New Year’s.

Everyone gets to take a turn at pounding the glutinous sticky rice for good luck. Fire building starts 6 a.m. to steam the rice. Hearty local style lunch plates sell for $5. There will be New Year’s crafts, calligraphy and floral arrangements, food, Okinawan taiko drumming at noon, Hawaiian entertainment and more.

For more information, contact Akiko Masuda at 963-6422 or msakiko@hawaii.rr.com. You also can visit www.akikosbnb.com.