Go wild while the Honolulu Zoo entertains the kids
Need a baby sitter for the evening? The Honolulu Zoo has launched a new program called “Twilight Explorers,” offering children ages 4 to 11 an activity-filled evening under the supervision of Honolulu Zoo Society educators.
Participants will eat a keiki-friendly dinner, tour the zoo and watch a movie, while parents are free to hit the town.
The program takes place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and will be offered once a month on Fridays, starting this week, followed by Feb. 17, March 16 and April 13.
Cost is $75 per child, $65 for zoo members. Children must be pottytrained to participate, and reservations are required. Call 926-3191 or visit honzoosoc.org/calendar.htm for more information.
Kualoa Ranch opens Animal Friends tour to public
A visit to Kualoa Ranch is a favorite school field trip for many youngsters, who get to learn about Hawaii’s rich paniolo history and interact with the ranch’s animals. Now the ranch is making its Animal Friends tour available to private individuals for the first time. “We’ve never opened it up to the public before,” said Makana Kaha‘ulelio, manager of Kualoa’s educational programs. “They learn about (farm animals), they pet them, they feed them.” The ranch expects to give the tours monthly, with the first scheduled for Jan. 14 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Kualoa Ranch also is holding other family-friendly programs this month. For its stream and taro terrace restoration project, called La Malama Lo‘i, visitors are taken on a short hike to see the work and allowed to help with the restoration. “We’re not looking for free labor,” Kaha‘ulelio said with a laugh. “We have older people who just want to sit on the side and weed, but then we have the guys who want to grab big rocks and build a wall.” That tour is on Jan. 15 at 8 a.m.
On Jan. 21, visitors can hike to Hakipuu Valley. The 1.7-mile walk takes visitors through fields, forests and taro patches to a spectacular view of Kaneohe Bay as guides tell stories and legends of the area. “There’s a lot of history and a lot of sharing of the place and the plants,” Kaha‘ulelio said. The hike begins at 9 a.m.
All three activities, because they occur away from the ranch headquarters, require reservations. Cost of the Animal Friends and Hakipuu Valley tours for kamaaina is $15 for one adult and child, $5 for each additional child. La Malama Lo‘i day is free. For more information, call 239-5497 or email education@kualoa.com.
Culture abounds at New Year’s Ohana Festival
Extend your New Year’s celebration for one more week on Sunday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii’s New Year’s Ohana Festival.
The 21st annual celebration features a wide array of food and family entertainment, highlighted by the first-time appearance of local food trucks and a Japanese Country Store selling handmade arts and crafts.
Family fun will include Japanese children’s games and demonstrations of okonomiyaki (pancakes) and mochi-pounding, as well as the ever-popular kimono dressing. Park recommended calling ahead to inquire about kimono dressing but said some drop-in appointments might be available.
Musical entertainment will include Jason Poole, a classically trained singer who crossed over into Hawaiian music after an eating disorder damaged his voice. “He sings this beautiful falsetto music,” said Denise Park of the JCCH. Other entertainment will include ukulele player Jody Kamisato, Kenny Endo’s Taiko Center of the Pacific, the Royal Hawaiian Band, as well as Japanese performers.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St., and across the street at Moiliili Park. Free parking will be available at the University of Hawaii-manoa parking structure on Dole Street, with free shuttle service provided. Admission to the festival is also free.
Call 945-7633 or visit jcch.com for information.
Three Kings Day will be marked
The United Puerto Rican Association of Hawaii celebrates El Dia de los Tres Reyes, or Three Kings Day, on Sunday. The festivities include music, dancing and a potluck from noon to 6 p.m. at 1249 N. School St.
Three kings, portrayed by Maryknoll students in costumes, will distribute treats to the children.
The entertainment lineup includes Latin Amigos, Tommy Valentine y Sus Amigos and Son Caribe. The contestants vying for the title of Miss Latina Hawaii will make appearances.
Admission is $5; children under 12 are free. Bring a favorite dish to share. For more information, call 847-2751 or 285-0072.
Makahiki games to take the spotlight with Hawaiian sports
Makahiki Kuilima, a festival celebrating Native Hawaiian sports and culture, will bring two days of events to Turtle Bay Resort.
Traditional makahiki sporting events such as hukihuki (tug of war), ulu maika (lawn bowling), uma (arm wrestling), heihei kukini (foot racing) and oo ihe (spear throwing) will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 21 and 22 at Kuilima Cove at the resort.
Besides sports, there will also be hula, artisans and crafters, educational exhibits, cultural demonstrations and a surfing exhibition.
Makahiki Kuilima is being presented by Naepuni Aloha, the parent group of Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, a Hawaiian education program dedicated to teaching through Hawaiian language and culture. The goal of Makahiki Kuilima is to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian cultural traditions.
The event is free and open to the public. Turtle Bay Resort is at 57-091 Kamehameha Highway. Email makahiki.kuilima@gmail.com for more information or visit sites.google.com/site/makahikikuilima.
