Enjoy a bento under the stars at Waipahu festival

Hawaii’s Plantation Village is inviting visitors to bring their lounge chairs and sit under the stars while enjoying a bento dinner at its Harvest Moon Festival Sept. 24.

Live entertainment including hula, bon dancing and moon chanting, and special exhibits are among the free festivities from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Astronomers will set up telescopes to give visitors close-up looks of the moon and the planet Saturn over the taro patches. Nick Bradley of Stargazers of Hawaii, an astronomy consultant, will give a short talk on the impressive half-moon that will be on view that night (the full moon follows a week later but will be too late in the evening to see).

In the social hall, there will be an exhibit of the history of food harvested in Hawaii, and the Portuguese Genealogy Society can help people discover their roots. T-shirts, plants and seedlings will be on sale, and visitors can learn about how to care for local plants from staff.

At the halau, enjoy free games for kids and adults, including a new “Help Moki the Mongoose” scavenger hunt.

Local food favorites (Waffle Dog, K’s Mini Bento, Kona Ice Andagi and more), crafts and gift items in the Plantation Store will be available for purchase. A silent auction will be held.

Parking is free and a shuttle serv­ice from Waipahu Elementary School will run between 3 and 9:30 p.m. Call 808-677-0110 or email Waipahu.hpv@gmail.com.