Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [34]
JANUARY
Kauaian Days, several locations. “Celebrating our Unity, While Honoring our Diversity” is the theme of this weeklong festival at various locations around the island. Included in the events are entertainment, Hawaiian games for children, sporting events, workshops, dinners, and cultural festivities. Call 80 8/338-0111. Mid-January.
Annual Burns Supper, Waimea. This is a birthday celebration of Scotland’s most acclaimed poet, Robert Burns, on the grounds of Waimea Plantation Cottages. The Burns Supper celebrates this special man with food, Burns’s poetry, and music. A fabulous dinner under the palms follows the pipes and drums. Call 80 8/652-0616. Late January or early February at the Waimea Plantation Cottages.
FEBRUARY
4th Annual All Angels Jazz Festival, Lihue. Stop by for some jazz at St. Michael and All Angels Church, 4363 Umi St., Lihue. Call 80 8/245-3796. Early Feb.
Waimea Town Celebration, Waimea. This annual party on Kauai’s west side celebrates the Hawaiian and multiethnic history of the town where Captain Cook first landed. This is the island’s biggest 2-day event, drawing some 10,000 people. Top Hawaiian entertainers, sporting events, rodeo, and lots of food are on tap during the weekend celebration. Call 80 8/337-1005; Weekend after Presidents’ Day Weekend.
Captain Cook Fun Run, Waimea. The 2-, 5-, and 10K runs, with a starting time of 7am, go through the old plantation town of Waimea. Call 80 8/338-1332. End of February.
Kilohana Long-Distance Canoe Race, Waimea. Traditional Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Racing along the Waimea shoreline is the first event of the Kauai canoe-racing season. Starting times for the races Saturday morning are 8am for single-person canoes, 9am for women, and 10:30am for men. The finish is around noon. Call 80 8/338-1332. End of February.
MARCH
Note: Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March on the Mainland but not in Hawaii. Be sure to adjust the time. Starting at 2am, Hawaii is 3 hours behind Pacific Time and 6 hours behind the East Coast (when it’s 6pm in New York it’s only noon in Hawaii).
Prince Kuhio Celebration of the Arts, Lawai. Celebrate the birth of Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, who was born on March 26, 1871, and elected to Congress in 1902. Kauai, his birthplace, starts the celebration at the memorial at Prince Kuhio Park in Lawai, and continues it with daylong festivities. Call 80 8/651-6966 for details.
4th Annual Kauai Orchid and Art Festival, Hanapepe. Come and see the exotic displays of tropical orchids at the Garden Island Orchid Society’s Spring Fantasy Orchid Show and view Kauai’s top artists’ work. Popular contemporary Hawaiian music will be offered along with workshops on various art activities. Downtown Hanapepe, late March. Call 80 8/335-5944.
APRIL
Annual Royal Paina, Lihue. The Kauai Historical Society presents its annual celebration of Hawaii’s multiethnic heritage, with local entertainment and a great meal at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club. Call 80 8/245-3373. End of April.
MAY
Kauai Museum Lei Day Celebrations, Lihue. May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, celebrated with lei-making contests, pageantry, arts, and crafts. Call 80 8/245-6931 for Kauai events.
Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, Lihue. Hawaii’s largest single-day fundraiser, which takes place across the state, consists of a 31⁄4-mile fun walk (with some ambitious runners at the front of the pack). Beginning at the Kukui Grove Pavilion, the walk raises money for local charities. Call 80 8/923-0404 or visit www.charitywalk.org. Third Saturday in May.
Outrigger Canoe Season, several locations. From May to September, nearly every weekend, canoe paddlers across the state participate in outrigger canoe races. Call 80 8/261-6615, or go to www.y2kanu.com for this year’s schedule of events.
JUNE
Annual Taste of Hawaii, Kapaa. The Rotary Club of Kapaa holds its “Ultimate Sunday Brunch” at Smith’s