Hawaiian Fest Features Cultural, Natural History

The 10th Annual Grow Hawaiian Weekend, a celebration of Hawaiian cultural and natural history, will take place Friday and Saturday Feb. 21 and 22, at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook.

Admission to the Garden is free on both two days and all activities are free.

On Friday, 1-4 pm., the public may visit the Garden Visitor Center to join Greenwell Garden staff, taro experts Jerry Konanui and Keahi Tomas, and local school children in ku‘i kalo, poi pounding.

Boards and stones and cooked taro will be available for everyone from beginners to experts to try the traditional culinary art. Also on Friday at 1 p.m., there is a guided tour of Hawaiian native plants on the grounds.

Beginning 9 a.m. Saturday, there will be presentations on taro cultivation, conservation, horticulture and lauhala weaving, and artisans will demonstrate ipu gourd decorating, kapa-making, woodworking, lei-making and Hawaiian dyes.

There will be hands-on activities for the keiki and adults, plant and insect identification booths, displays, live entertainment and Hawaiian food.

Visitors can learn about the movement to provide Hawaiian voyaging canoes with food grown in Hawai‘i, said a release for the event, and there will also be a presentation on cordage made from the bark of olonā, a strong, durable fiber that was made into fishing line, nets and other items.

Some of the foremost experts in native plants and Hawaiian ethnobotany will lead tours of the Garden and authors will be on hand to sign their books, said the release, and a silent auction will be held for items including poi boards, poi stones and other traditional objects.

Call 323-3318 for information, or visit www.bishopmuseum.org/greenwell.