Okidoki
Saturday (June 25), 10am-3pm, Maui Mall, Kahului; free
Andagi. You’ve got to get some. It’s, like, donut dumplings from Planet Omnomnom. So sweet and greasy, even if the Maui Okinawan Festival only offered andagi, it would be worth attending the event. But beyond this divine Oki dessert, the good news is that there’s plene kine ono grinds at this annual cultural celebration, brought to you by the Maui Okinawan Kenjin Kai (MOKK) and Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA). Organizers invite “uchinanchu and uchinanchu-at-heart” to join in on the fun by trying on traditional garb and posing for a picture, playing games, shopping their mini craft fair, perusing the colorful cultural display and enjoying onstage demonstrations. Speaking of the latter, Okinawan cultural clubs and practitioners run the gamut from daiko and taiko drumming to odori dance (fun fact: this dance style originated way back in the Edo, or Tokugawa, period more than 400 years ago). But naturally, my favorite folks performing are my comrades in arms from Komei Juku Maui, a burgeoning samurai swordsmanship group under the tutelage of Bob Montgomery Sensei and Guy Junker Sensei. But I digress. The point is, you need to go. And not just for the desserts. But please know that if you cut ahead in the andagi line, I know how to use a sword. 70 E. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului; mauimall.com
Comments
comments