LIHU‘E — “Do you know what’s in the baby stroller being pushed by Conner Kosen?”
Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau president Laurie Ho inquired, Saturday while Kosen was joined by Kira Blackstad Pimental in accepting the Kaua‘i Farm Bureau “Future of Agriculture” scholarships during the ‘Ohana Fun Fair 2022 at the Kukui Grove Center.
“No, it’s not a baby,” Ho said while the event emcee Rachel Secretario introduced the pair before the food court that was filled with families enjoying a midday meal while escaping from the noon sun. “And, it’s not a dog. It’s a chicken!”
Hundreds of people filled the walkways of the shopping center to find their own level of fun while negotiating the passport that took families through a variety of activities, information, and premium giveaways that ranged from educational free books to bags of fresh fruit.
“This is so good,” said Butch Budding of the Kaua‘i Bonsai Club that hosted a busy stream of shoppers throughout the day that started with the end of the 43rd Visitor Industry Charity Walk and continued throughout the afternoon. “It’s been three years since we had anything like this.”
The ‘Ohana Fun Day is a collaborative effort put together by the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, the Kukui Grove Center, and Keiki to Career, the Resilience Project, and a host of community groups.
“Since the annual county farm fair is no more, we wanted to offer an alternative for families, many of whom have fond memories of attending that event,” said Alice Luck of Keiki to Career. “Some of the same vendors from the farm fair are here, and for our part, Keiki to Career and our Kaua‘i Resilience Project partners are offering some fun games for families with keiki.”
With game booths set up throughout the shopping center, punctuated by the Deja Vu Surf Hawai‘i sidewalk sale and other shopping center tenants offering more inter-active activities, the crowd blanketed the walking and sitting areas of the center.
“I have never seen this many people here in a long time,” a shopping center security officer said while succumbing to the lure of the activities being offered. “This is looking like a shopping center.”
Jean Souza, the on-site manager for Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery told Ho and her company of Fun Fair leaders that we was exhausted — a good kind of exhaustion because the KOD was the best day she’s had since opening.
Another shopper waiting for his guests shop in one of the center’s stores added, “This is a long weekend, and we need to have something to do. This is what a shopping center should be like, looking and feeling like being at The Ala Moana Shopping Center.”
Luck said the theme of the event is building resilience.
“This theme cuts across many sectors in our environment and society, including our agricultural sector, and youth development,” Luck said. “As an island, we endeavor to increase the amount of local food we consume and reduce reliance on imports. We also endeavor to raise strong, resilient children and provide them with a path to thrive here. At the crux of these goals is the importance of relationships, in our families and our community.”
Melissa McFerrin-Warrack of the Kukui Grove Center has also served as the event coordinator for the farm fair.
“My son Finnegan just spent the greater part of the afternoon speaking with Trysen Kaneshige who created the resilience mural,” McFerrin-Warrack said. “What an amazing day this has been — So many memories, so many friends that we haven’t seen in such a long time, so many new friends.”
Previous Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau president Jerry Ornellas said, “If kids are having fun, then it’s a huge success, just like the farm fair.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
