Kamaaina welcome on Kauai

Lihue, Kauai » Kauai Beach Resort has lowered room rates for Hawaii kamaaina and military residents in response to a Kauai Visitors Bureau campaign to attract home-grown visitors to the Garden Island.

The new rates start from $96 per night based on availability and are valid through Dec. 30.

For more information about Kauai Beach Resort, call 245-1955 or visit www.kauaibeachresorthawaii.com.

Haleiwa artsfest continues today

There’s still time to take in the Haleiwa Arts Festival. The free event continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today in historic Haleiwa town. The event features about 125 juried visual artists plus musicians, singers, dancers, cultural trolley tours, student art, art demonstrations and children’s art activities.

Guide gives tips on Maui, Molokai

LAHAINA, MAUI » The Maui Accommodations Guide has just published its e-newsletter with details on summer and fall specials offered by 59 resorts, hotels, condos and vacation homes on Maui and Molokai. The guide allows bargain-hunting travelers to link directly to each property for more information or reservations. Visit it online at www.MauiAccommodations.com.

Festival will celebrate rice

Get your chopsticks ready and mark your calendar for the first Hawaii Rice Festival, set for noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Aloha Tower Marketplace.

The festival will include food demonstrations with samplings of rich dishes from around the world. Activities will include a celebrity meet-and-greet, celebrity and chef cooking demonstrations, Da Spam Musubi eating contest, a "Ricepie" contest, games for the kids and more. Lanakila Pacific will have a booth set up where festival-goers can donate bags of brown rice.

Sponsorship packages and vendor spaces are available. For information on sponsorship packages, booth sizes, prices, benefits and application information, please contact Andrew Sato via e-mail at Andrew@hawaiipacificentertainment.com or call 352-1261; or contact Umma Kayvalyam via e-mail at umma@hawaiipacificentertainment.com or call 237-3675.