Smorgasbord of family activities planned for festival around Capitol

Big-top tents on the state Capitol grounds will host an array of family activities for Children and Youth Day on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s theme is “Hoohanohano: Honor Our Children.”

More than 300 exhibitors provide free games, educational information, hands-on activities, demonstrations and arts and crafts. Entertainers will perform from several different stages. This year’s lineup includes Jordan Segundo, Kapena, Kupaoa, Bruce Shimabukuro and Jason Tom and DJ Chunky. Dance crews, hip-hop groups and Brown Bags to Stardom Kids are also scheduled to perform.

The green zone — a drive-thru recycling center on King Street near Queen Liliuokalani’s statue — will accept computers, printers, cell phones, telephone books, newspapers, cardboard and other recyclable goods. Canned goods will also be collected for the Hawaii Foodbank; pet food, blankets and towels for Poi Dogs and Popoki; and career attire and accessories for YWCA Dress for Success.

Guided tours, including a look into the governor’s ceremony chambers, will be conducted at the state Capitol. Self-guided tours are available at Washington Place. Visit www.hawaiicyd.org.

Arts and crafts galore at Second Saturday

Activate all five senses at Second Saturday with the Hawaii Stitchery & Fibre Arts Guild Oct. 8.

Make kazoos, flying buzzers, sachets and decoupaged paper weights as part of the hands-on art activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hawaii State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St.. Museum galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is free. Parking is available across the street at Alii Place (1099 Alakea St.) for a flat rate of $3 or free at the county underground lot at Beretania and Alapai streets.

Visit www.hawaiistateartmuseum.org/?q=2ndsaturday.

Soetoro-Ng and DeLima on hand for family expo

This fall’s Oh Baby! Family Expo will showcase Maya Soetoro-Ng doing an interpretive reading of her first picture book, “Ladder to the Moon” next Saturday and Oct. 9 at the Blaisdell Center.

The story was inspired by her young daughter Suhaila’s questions about her grandmother Ann Dunham, who was the mother of Soetoro-Ng and President Barack Obama. Soetoro-Ng will autograph a limited number of her books at the show.

You can also catch comedian Frank De Lima performing at 11 a.m. Oct. 9 on the main stage, doing some of his most memorable characters and skits for families.

As usual, the expo will feature more than 150 exhibitors, along with expert speakers, the popular baby crawling contest and featured characters such as Curious George and the Cookie Mouse from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”

The expo takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Blaisdell Center’s Exhibition Hall. Visit www.ohbabyfamilyexpo.com for more details and a $1 off coupon.

Treasure trove of minerals and gemstones to shine at Outrigger show

Get rockin’ and rollin’ next weekend at the 10th Annual Rock and Mineral Society of Hawaii Show at The Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach Hotel. The Rock and Mineral Society, known as Hui Pohaku O Hawaii, bills the event as “the only mineral show in Hawaii, with minerals and gemstones in one location that can be found nowhere else on the islands.”

On display will be a broad range of items, including Hawaiian minerals, agate geodes, amethyst, celestite, fossils, gemstones, meteorites, opals, pyrite, and quartz crystals. In addition, members will be selling some items and can help identify fossil and mineral specimens brought by the public.

“I’ll have … big megalodon teeth from the large prehistoric sharks. They’re 6 inches or more,” said Keith Krueger of the mineral society. “It was a big prehistoric shark that probably hit 60 or 65 feet long … a true monster.”

The display will be in the Leahi Room on the lobby level at the Outrigger, at 2335 Kalakaua Ave. Doors are open from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. next Saturday and Oct. 9. Admission is free. Visit pohakugalore.net/Hui_pohaku/Hui_pohaku_1.html or email hui.pohaku@gmail.com for information.