Waimanalo, Waikiki events offer food and family fun

Two different kinds of fun in two different locales this weekend offer family frivolity and food of varied forms.

Pony rides are part of the annual Horse Show & Country Fair Fundraiser, staged by Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii in Waimanalo.

In addition to pony rides at the Waimanalo Polo Field, there will be kids’ games, a bounce house, craft vendors, a tack sale for horse-folk, some food and drink choices from the Shaka Shrimp food truck, and shave ice and lemonade vendors.

The annual event is free to attend, with proceeds from activity sales to benefit the nonprofit organization.

Scrip cost $1 each, with kids’ games costing one scrip and pony rides costing four, but fun in the bounce house is free. Vendors can take scrip or cash.

Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii specializes in riding instruction for people with special needs but also provides therapeutic riding for people of any ability. Riders build physical strength through learning to groom, saddle and ride horses.

Riders gain confidence by learning from the horses and receiving unconditional love from the animals. THH’s miniature horses are available to visit individuals who are unable to come to the program for physical or financial reasons.

Closer to town, the Handcrafters and Artisans Alliance will stage Waikiki Artfest, with enough food to sustain shoppers looking for handcrafted, made-in-Hawaii treasures.

This month’s event, one of five in 2016, will last only one day, Saturday. It will feature 50 artisans who create unique gifts of all kinds.

Always at Kapiolani Park near the bandstand, the event is popular with both visitors and residents.

For hungry shoppers needing fuel for further gift-foraging, Royal Hawaiian Hot Dogs will offer hot dogs, smoothies, drinks and shave ice.

The event is one of many staged around the island by the nonprofit Handcrafters and Artisans Alliance. It is planning a larger two-day event for June.