POIPU — Jessie Castro was taking advantage of his day off to get photographs at CJM Country Stables on Friday. “I’ll have to be working Sunday at the Koloa Plantation Days rodeo, so I won’t be able to get photographs,”
POIPU — Jessie Castro was taking advantage of his day off to get photographs at CJM Country Stables on Friday.
“I’ll have to be working Sunday at the Koloa Plantation Days rodeo, so I won’t be able to get photographs,” Castro said. “So, I’m just going to enjoy myself today.”
The Koloa Plantation Days celebration opened with the preliminary roping at CJM Country Stables, enhanced by the women’s barrel racing competition, a paniolo barbeque and live music.
Down the road, No Ka Oi Landscaping sent in a 10-person workforce to spruce up Hapa Trail for the annual Hapa Trail Walk scheduled at 9 a.m. today fronting the St. Rafael’s Church, touted as Kauai’s oldest church.
“This Hapa Trail cleanup is in addition to the 30 workers we had at the Tree Tunnel Cleanup,” said Sara Sloan of No Ka Oi Landscape Services. “All told, after families of the employees joined the group, No Ka Oi had at least 65 people at the cleanup.”
Melissa McFerrin, event coordinator for Koloa Plantation Days, said a new event this year includes the Flavors of Kukuiula from 5 to 8:30 p.m. July 25.
“This is going to be very exciting,” McFerrin said. “The regular Flavors of Kukuiula is already very popular, and for the Koloa Plantation Days, the restaurants will be preparing plantation-style cuisine, and Wally Rita y Los Kauaianos, and Waiola will be playing. They are already getting kachi-kachi (dance) fans excited.”
Another new event is the Tea and Talk Story: Plantation Society at Plantation Gardens, hosted by the Women in Theater from 4 to 5 p.m. July 27 at the Plantation Gardens restaurant.
“Kauai living treasure David Penhallow Scott will be re-living the days of the sugar plantation society at the time of Pearl Harbor on the lanai of the estate which once served as the plantation manager’s house,” McFerrin said.
Tuesday afternoon, people can join members of Hui Malama o Kaneiolouma as they recount the history of Poipu with an introduction to their efforts to restore the area.
Koloa Plantation Days has more than 30 events which fill the calendar from July 18 through July 27.
