Garden Isle blooms with summer activities, events | News, Sports, Jobs

Publish date: 2024-05-07

The towering, 3,000-foot-cliffs along the Napali Coast is a must see and a number of sailing ventures will take you there in comfort. Kauai Visitors Bureau / KICKA WITTE photo

The Garden Isle of Kauai offers perfect ways to stay cool this summer.

“Outdoor activities take the spotlight during the summer months. Kayaking along the Wailua River, hiking to Uluwehi Falls, sailing along the beautiful Napali Coast and zipping on the state’s longest zipline are a few adventures that visitors can partake in,” says Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau. “Stop at Wailua Shave Ice with the entire family to beat the heat or enjoy a scoop of delicious Lappert’s Ice Cream.”

Below are several events and happenings “blooming” on the Garden Isle throughout the summer season.

Koloa Plantation Days

July 21 to 30: The annual Koloa Plantation Days festival commemorates the multiple cultures and peoples who immigrated to Hawaii during its sugar and pineapple plantation era, and contributed traditions, music, dance and cuisine to the rich melting pot of cultures that make up the islands today. The festival celebrates present-day vitality of the south shore’s Koloa and Poipu areas, both visitor destinations.

Kauai’s Wailua Falls is among many natural wonders due to the abundance of rain which makes the island green and lush from mountain to ocean. Kauai Visitors Bureau / DAMON MOSS photo

Enjoy the festival’s guided walks and talk-story sessions, outdoor sports, and a variety of keiki activities and live music. A rodeo will also showcase top competitors from Hawaii and the Mainland.

For more details, call (808) 652-3217, or visit www.koloaplantationdays.com.

Heiva I Kaua’i 2017

Aug. 5 and 6: Heiva I Kaua’i is a colorful two-day Tahitian cultural fest presented annually on the first weekend of August with competitions for children and adults (ages 4 to 50-plus) in solo Tahitian dancing, and group contests in traditional and contemporary Tahitian dancing and drumming. Favorite events include audience participation segments and coconut-husking contests. The 16th annual Heiva fest runs all day long from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Kapa’a Beach Park. An array of Polynesian arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and food will be available for purchase with special emphasis on Tahitian products. Entry is $7 per person per day, with children ages 12 and younger admitted free. Tickets are available on event days at the gate. For more information, call Sally Jo Manea at (808) 822-9447, or email keahimanea@gmail.com.

Waipa Music and Mango Festival

Aug. 13: Waipa Foundation will present its fifth annual Music and Mango Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the nonprofit’s Halulu Fishpond on Kauai’s north shore. The fest promises a relaxing day of live homegrown music, hands-on activities, local artisans and crafts, and Kauai chefs and food vendors offering up tasty food inspired by the area’s summer mango harvest. See contests searching for the best mango recipe and largest fruit, cultural and educational displays, and more. Bring a beach blanket or chair. Waipa is just a half-mile out of Hanalei town along Hanalei Bay.

Admission is $10 for adults and $1 for keiki (children) up to age 17. The event raises funds for Waipa Foundation, a living learning center focused on taking care of the island’s natural resources, practicing Hawaiian culture and values, and inspiring healthy keiki and community. For more details, call Kalen Kelekoma at (808) 826-9969.

Pilgrimage of Compassion

Aug. 13: Kauai’s Lawai International Center welcomes the public to its 17th annual Pilgrimage of Compassion, set for 1 to 4:30 p.m. The program celebrates the center’s longtime healing sanctuary in the Lawai Valley, and features grand master-level shakuhachi flutist Riley Lee and drumbeats by members of Taiko Kaua’i. The day’s events will also include a bonsai exhibit, ikebana and calligraphy demos, bake sale, silent auction, mochi and taro pounding, and cultural and food demos.

Lawai International Center is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that encourages guests to bring an umbrella and wear walking shoes for the hillside trek. You may leave a donation. Visit www.lawaicenter.org, call Lynn Muramoto at (808) 639-5952 or email LM@hawaii.rr.com.

The Kaua’i Marathon

Sept. 3: Avid runners rejoice! The ninth annual Kaua’i Marathon and Half-Marathon will send participants past hula dancers and taiko drum troupes at its USA Track and Field-certified course, which traces the scenic landscape of the isle’s south shore.

Along the way, participants take in magnificent views of the area’s picturesque beaches, rugged volcanic peaks and lush tropical rainforests. Runners completing the course will do so at one of the most beautiful oceanfront finish lines in road racing. The marathon will also host a Keiki Run on Sept. 2 at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. For more details, visit www.thekauaimarathon.com.

Mokihana Festival

Sept. 24 to 30: Held annually at the historic Kapaʻa First Hawaiian Church, founded by Kauai’s last queen Deborah Kapule in 1879, the Malie Foundation’s Kaua’i Mokihana Festival is a celebration of Hawaiian culture. Its mission is to educate, promote, preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through a variety of activities for all people. Events include a composer’s concert and contest, craft fair, lectures, and a hula competition finale on Sept. 30. Call (808) 822-2166, or visit www.maliefoundation.org.

Powwow in Paradise

Sept. 22 to 24: Powwow in Paradise is an annual festival of the culture and traditions of Native Americans with song, dance, art, cultural crafting and education tents, ethnic food booths, and handmade Native American arts and crafts. The event will also feature a Hawaiian blessing and Grand Entry parade. For more details, call (808) 647-4285, or visit www.kauaipowwow.com.

* For further details, visit www.kauaidiscovery.com.

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