The coconut was king in Kapa’a on Saturday. And the prince and princess were the people crowding into Kapa’a Beach Park for the fourth annual Coconut Festival. The throng was treated to a cultural, social and historical salute to the
The coconut was king in Kapa’a on Saturday.
And the prince and princess
were the people crowding into Kapa’a Beach Park for the fourth annual Coconut
Festival.
The throng was treated to a cultural, social and historical
salute to the coconut. The theme was obvious. Almost everywhere one turned,
people were drinking from coconut shells, eating sweet coconut meat, burying
their face in the stuff in a coconut pie-eating contest, or doing crafts or
checking out products made from the fabled fruit.
The Kapa’a Business
Association event had plenty of other entertainment and activities, too.
With a backdrop of waves surging toward the park’s beach, singer Larry
Rivera warbled Hawaiian ballads and lured good-natured audience members out of
their seats and into his act.
He was preceded on-stage by spectacular
dancers from the Polynesian Cultural Center. Their high-energy, culture-laden
show ended with the performers charming the audience by shaking hands with
them. At one earlier point, the male dancers smilingly reassured children who
were startled by the dancers’ aggressive rushes toward the
audience.
Elsewhere, the family-oriented festival was heavy with kid stuff.
Children lined up for $2 horse and pony rides. And in one of the tents where
vendors sold unique craft items, a balloon animal booth was a big
hit.
Festival sponsors included Kaua’i Drug Free Coalition, Hawaiian
Airlines, Pepsi and Hawai’i Tourism Authority.
Editor Pat Jenkins can
be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) and [
HREF=”mailto:pjenkins@pulitzer.net”>pjenkins@pulitzer.net]
Staff
Photo by Dennis Fujimoto
