Waikiki hotel to hold festival twice a week
The Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki will hold a Natsu Matsuri (Japanese summer festival) every Friday and Saturday evening across the street from Waikiki Beach beginning July 27 through Aug. 11.
The hotel is at 2490 Kalakaua Ave. (at Liliuokalani Avenue).
The traditional Japanese celebration will feature food, entertainment, a bon dance, music and children’s games.
The events are open to the public. There is no admission charge, and validated parking is available with the purchase of scrip.
For more information, visit the Pacific Beach Hotel’s website at www.pacificbeachhotel.com, Facebook.com/pacificbeachhotel, Twitter @PacificBeachHtl or call 921-6190.
Guitarist will launch concert series at Volcano Art Center
Grammy and Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Jeff Peterson will kick off an acoustic concert series with a show at 7 p.m. Saturday on Hawaii island at the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village.
It is the first of four musical evenings in the center’s "Summer Unplugged" series that will feature "talk story" time with the artists.
The other concerts will feature Barry Flanagan (July 7), John Cruz (Aug. 25) and Peter Moon Jr. (Sept. 22).
Tickets are available at www.volcanoartcenter.org or VAC Niaulani for $25 ($22.50 for VAC members).
For more information, call 967-8222 or email concerts@volcanoartcenter.com.
Sweepstakes prizes to be awarded daily through June 21
Royal Hawaiian Center will give away daily prizes beginning Tuesday through June 21, with a grand prize giveaway on June 22 in its "Summer Style Up" sweepstakes for kamaaina.
The daily prizes include:
» A $25 Royal Hawaiian Center gift card.
» 10 hours of free parking (one-time use).
» A Royal Hawaiian Center eco-tote bag and swag.
The grand prize winner will get the 10-hour parking pass and eco-tote, plus:
» A $350 Royal Hawaiian Center shopping spree.
» An appointment with a personal stylist.
» An Apple iPod Touch.
» Dinner for two at a Royal Hawaiian Center restaurant.
The sweepstakes is being held on the center’s Facebook page (www.facebook. com/RoyalHawaiianCenter).
GLOBE TROTTING
Foreign travel to Mexico rises
MEXICO CITY » Mexican tourism officials say there has been a 5.3 percent increase in the number of international visitors to Mexico from January to April.
The rise comes after the Texas Department of Public Safety released a travel warning discouraging students in March from visiting Mexico on spring break, citing an increase in drug violence.
An announcement made Monday by Mexico’s Tourism Department says more than half of the 4,098,750 tourists who visited Mexico in the first third of the year were from the U.S. The number of Americans was up slightly from 2011.
The announcement also says the main destinations for foreign travelers were Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Huatlco, Riviera Maya and Cozumel.
Museum shows musician’s photos
DETROIT » A recently opened exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts focuses on the photography of musician Patti Smith.
Called "Patti Smith: Camera Solo," it features dozens of black-and-white gelatin silver prints Smith produced. The exhibition runs through Sept. 2. It’s free with museum admission.
The DIA says Smith began taking 35-millimeter photos in 1968 for collages and took up serious use of the Polaroid Land Camera in 1995.
