‘Lei Day’ filled with levity
Don Blanding, sometimes known as "Hawaii’s poet laureate," took the European tradition of May Day and created Lei Day in the 1920s. The Brothers Cazimero revived the tradition of "Make a lei, give a lei, wear a lei" with their "May Day Is Lei Day" concert at the Waikiki Shell in 1977.
Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s final show of the season, "May Day Is Lei Day," builds on those familiar hapa-haole traditions.
Using the group’s characteristic improvisational skills, HTY actors use a pair of poles from a Filipino tinikling dance to enact different scenes from an exploding volcano to the Honolulu Marathon.
HTY actor Junior Tesoro brings levity to the musical play with his portrayal of a "hyperactive sugar-rushed human candy lei."
A special set allows several dozen children from the audience to participate in the show.
HTY shows this season have presented kids with unconventional ways of dealing with bullies. Expect another tip on the subject somewhere in this show as well.
The show is at 4:30 p.m. Saturdays through May 5.
Kahuku Farms serves up fun with eggs, corn
Kahuku Farms on the North Shore will host its first Easter event today.
Enjoy an egg hunt, games, prizes and a corn-on-the-cob eating contest at Kahuku Farms, which grows fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Easter egg hunt starts at 11:30 a.m. for keiki up to age 5 and at 11:40 a.m. for ages 6 to 10.
Wagon rides will be available starting at noon ($5 each or $20 for an all-day pass).
The corn-on-the-cob eating contest begins at 12:30 p.m. and has two categories: for ages 5 to 11 and ages 12 and up. Enjoy Funny Farms Races and Relays at 1:30 p.m.
Kahuku Farms is now a visitor destination as well as a farm, offering wagon rides, a gift store and a country cafe serving farm-harvested vanilla bean ice cream, mango iced tea, pizzas and panini.
Kahuku Farms is at 56-800 Kamehameha Highway across from Romy’s shrimp stand.
For more information, visit www.kahukufarms.com or call Kylie Matsuda at 628-0639.
Let’s celebrate ‘Cougar Pride’
Kaiser High School is "Celebrating 40 Years of Cougar Pride" with rides, games and entertainment from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the school campus.
Highlights include an Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m., pony rides, a food truck lane and silent auction. Free Keiki IDs will be provided by the Honolulu Police Department.
There will also be a white elephant sale, farmers market, craft fair and country store.
The high school is at 511 Lunalilo Home Road. The Spring Fest is presented by the Friends of Kaiser PTSA. For more information, visit www.kaiser.k12.hi.us.
Muppets teach us about our bodies
Muppets are creatures without real bodies. They are faux-fur, felt and button characters animated partly by someone else’s hand, and mostly by the audience’s imagination. That probably means they’re pretty objective about the complex organic machine that powers the rest of us.
This means that "Sesame Street Presents: The Body," an upcoming interactive exhibit at Bishop Museum, is likely to be both fun and educational. It opens April 7 and runs through the end of July.
Created by Burbank, Calif.-based Thinkwell Design and Production, teaming up with Sesame Workshop, it’s a kind of science fair as cleverly reinvented by Muppets — which means that while it’s aimed at kids, adults will enjoy it, too. And will probably learn a thing or two, along with their kids.
Information: 847-3511 or www.bishopmuseum.org.
Historic vessel is shipshape for kids’ parties
The Mighty Mo, the famous battleship that saw action in three wars and was the site of the Japanese surrender in World War II, is now available for children’s birthday parties.
The Mighty Mo Birthday Package, available for children ages 5 to 12, includes admission to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, a one-hour private "Life at Sea" guided tour, boxed lunches and a private party room on the pier. Personalized photos and Mighty Mo goodie bags are available for an additional fee.
"The Battleship Missouri is such an amazing place to hold any event and I’m glad that we are now able to help celebrate the birthdays of the next generation of American heroes," Jaclyn Hawse, special events sales and marketing manager at the Missouri, said in a statement.
Commissioned on June 11, 1944, the USS Missouri was part of the force that carried out raids over Tokyo and provided firepower in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Japanese signed the formal instrument of surrender onboard on Sept. 2, 1945, ending World War II.
The birthday package is available for groups of 12 to 25 guests. Rates are $18 per child (12 and under) and $25 per adult plus a $200 facility rental fee, which includes the party room for three hours. Reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Call the special events department at 455-1600, ext. 3, or email events@ussmissouri.org.
