Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 8, 1 August 2015 — Made in Hawaiʻi Festival [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Made in Hawaiʻi Festival

Where shoppers dreams eome true

f you missed what Nelson Makua, master of the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair in Hilo, creates every year, you have another ehanee. Makua will again bring a cadre of his Hawaiian artisans, including Nā Mākua Original Hawaiian Designs, Na Lima Mili Hulu No'eau feather work, Studio of Sticks and Stones carvings on slate, Hawai'i Bookmarks of koa, Sandy's Creations of Ni'ihau shells, Blue Kalo chips and cookies, and artist Brook Parker's Hawaiian ali'i portraits. The Made In Hawai'i Festival, Aug. 21 to 23 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and Arena, is a shoppers' paradise of 450 booths. Ticket price is $5, children 6 and under are free. Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. The show originated as a modest 61-booth exhibition to help Hawai'i's loeal artisans. Now the show attracts over 38,0000 attendees. U.S. continent and neighbor island visitors plan trips to coincide with the three-day extravaganza. The artisans featured work hard to comply with the rules of the show, regulating at least 5 1 percent of the wholesale value of eaeh product be manufactured, assembled, produced

or fabricated in Hawai'i. Hawai'i Culture and Retail Association is participating for its second year with a hloek of booths featuring the products of HCRA members, Hawai'i's cultural artisans and practitioners who create both traditional and contemporary products. In the Arena, the food booths waft the fragrance of dishes prepared by celebrity, Hale 'Aina Award-winning chefs, presenting cooking demonstrations: Pastry Chef Nanako Perez-Nava from Westin Moana Surfrider, Chef Ronnie Nasuti from Tiki's Grill & Bar and Chef Jason Takemura from Pagoda Floating Restaurant. In the Exhibition Hall Plkake Room, Nā Hōkū Hanohano stars Maunalua, Danny Couch, Jay Larrin, Frank DeLima, Lalao and Melveen Leed will perform. Sponsored by Outrigger Hotels, the finals for seventh annual Kani Ka Pila Grille Talent Search will be judged by Cyril Pahinui, Kawika Kahiapo, guitarist John Vierra and Luana Maitland, music director for Kani Ka Pila Grille. Grand prize: a one-month paid contract to perform at the Grille Thursdays in September. — Lynn Cook ■

y NĀHANANA % EVENTS

Ni'ihau shell lei are made by long-time festival participant Sandy Vincent of Sandy's Creations. Photo: Made in Hawaii Festival