KALAPAKI — There was something for everyone as a steady stream of shoppers cruised the walkways of the Kaua‘i Marriott Beach Club and Resort, Sunday. Using the event to help bolster sales in the resort’s wedding and Holiday bookings, the
KALAPAKI — There was something for everyone as a steady stream of shoppers cruised the walkways of the Kaua‘i Marriott Beach Club and Resort, Sunday.
Using the event to help bolster sales in the resort’s wedding and Holiday bookings, the event also added the offerings from over 40 vendors offering locally-made crafts as well as other goods.
Many of the vendors were still recovering from the Koloa Plantation Days Celebration, but made it a point to attend the event.
Aikea, a new clothing line by Jon Takamura, was one of the more popular stopping points as Liani Suniga noted that one of the items drawing people was the new “Kaua”i Kane” offerings of tank tops and tees that joins the “Halala” line that was introduced at the recent Hanama‘ulu Town Celebration.
Gracey Grace, another of the workers at the table explained that in addition to the tank tops and tee shirts, they also have stickers and baseball caps touting the Aikea message.
Grace said that the line produced by Takamura is all locally done, Takamura doing the designing and the printing done by a local company. The only exception is the baseball caps which are printed on O‘ahu, she explained.
In addition to the Sunday event, she said they’ll be on hand for the annual Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair.
Mindy Hibbitt of the Hot Lava line of sunglasses was another vendor who had just finished packing up their wares at Koloa where they were offered a space at the Koloa Chevron station.
Hibbitt explained that the Hot Lava line of sunglasses is owned by three sisters, herself, Heidi and Tami Hibbitt, and despite it’s newness to the island, the Hibbitt family has been involved in sunglass distribution for many years on the mainland.
“Seven of the 10 kids in the family are involved in sunglass sales,” Hibbitt said.
The fashionable, reasonably-priced protection from the sun has been a hit with both locals and visitors alike, their popularity demonstrated by the crowds around their tables.
Hibbitt, who was also at the Hanama‘ulu Town Celebration, noted that they will also be at the county farm fair.
In addition to the wide variety of consumer goods, Lynne Nagaoka of the resort’s Human Resources Department was heading up a staff of Kaua‘i Marriott volunteers at the Hole-E-Cow stand.
Nagaoka said that proceeds from the popular delicacy would be shared between the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, the Children’s Miracle Network, and the Kaua‘i United Way.
