PO‘IPU — The “pride” of Kaua‘i Proud went beyond the numerous crafters, artists, entertainers and wares recently at Kukui‘ula Village. “There was a lot of people here when everything was supposed to start,” said Ada Koene, who was shopping during
PO‘IPU — The “pride” of Kaua‘i Proud went beyond the numerous crafters, artists, entertainers and wares recently at Kukui‘ula Village.
“There was a lot of people here when everything was supposed to start,” said Ada Koene, who was shopping during Thursday’s event. “Then, the rains came.”
But the rain, normally a bane to people in outdoor areas like the open-air shopping center on the South Shore, took on a different light.
The Kaua‘i Proud event was the brainchild of Kukui‘ula Development President Brent Herrington who wanted an event to celebrate and feature the unique reasons everyone, residents and visitors alike, love Kaua‘i.
“I just cut my grass and it needs the water,” said Bud Paxman, one of the many crafters offering wares and demonstrations. “This is a good kind of rain, but normally, don’t we come to Po‘ipu to get away from rain?”
The rain also didn’t bother artist Patrice Pendarvis of the North Shore who was working with watercolors on a plein air piece.
“I guess I’ll just have to move everything closer to the wall,” Pendarvis said,
interrupting her move to greet a South Shore acquaintance.
Susan Pittman of Clayworks at Kilohana got help from Michael Oh of the Kukui‘ula Village in relocating her ceramics under the roof, Pittman turning to her computer for some catchy sound effects to make up for the move.
It also coincided with the grand opening of the Club at Kukui‘ula, said Veronica Lovesy of the Kukui‘ula Development Co.
Jeni Prince, an artist participating in the Grove Farm Plein Air event, had a new piece started after having most of her other work sold during the Saturday fundraiser for the Grove Farm Homestead Museum.
“We thought we would make an adventure out of this,” said Moses Hamilton, an artist who has work in Po‘ipu Surf. “The last time we were down this way was at the National Tropical Botanical Garden Christmas Craft Fair.”
The legacy of Christmas continued at the shopping center as Amy Christmas, a crafter who works with plants, was visiting with Tom Legacy, a shopper who came from Kalaheo.
The event melded a series of events into a nice Kaua‘i Proud package as the scheduled Art Walk produced a formal wine tasting at Living Foods Market and Cafe, everything being bound by the continuous entertainment including hula performances by Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, Tahitian dance by Ta‘ere Ta‘i and The Children of the Land Drums and Fire Knife Dancing welcoming the night.
Lovesy said she hopes it will become an annual event.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
