Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 11, 1 November 1991 — Festivities kickoff holiday season activities [ARTICLE]

Festivities kickoff holiday season activities

Waikiki will be the tropical backdrop for the Waikiki Improvement Association's ( WIA) second annual "Christmas with Aloha in Waikiki" festival scheduled from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The festival will open with a Christmas treelighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Nov. 29 at the ANA Kalakaua Center. At 7 p.m., the tree-lighting ceremony will be followed by Santa's Parade of Lights. The parade wil! include Santa Claus and his reindeer, a procession of marching bands, Christmas carolers (both in Hawaiian and English), costumed characters and decorated vehicles.

From 3-9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, Waikiki will celebrate the Kalakaua Avenue Christmas Festival with traffic closed to create a festive mall. The festival will feature photos with Santa Claus and special guests, booths with island-made arts and crafts, loeal food booths, Hawaiian entertainment, children's game booths and a petting zoo. "Christmas With Aloha In Waikiki" Tshirts will be available for sale.

Mission Houses Christmas Celebrate in the spirit of an old-fashioned Christmas at the Mission Houses Museum's 18th annual Christmas Fair from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1 on the museum grounds at 553 South King Street. Island craftspeople will eome from throughout the state to offer their wares in a colorful Hawaiian-

style open market. Christmas specialties, fresh and dried wreaths, lauhala work, leis, handmade toys, ceramics, jewelry, one-of-a-kind clothing and fine woodwork are among the items to be offered. This year's fair will also feature an "Ornament Alley." A variety of entertainment and edible delights will complete the festive atmosphere. Admission is free to the museum grounds.

iolani Palaee Tours The palaee will be open for tours of the first f loor of 'Iolani Palaee on the evenings of Dec. 27-29. The newly refurbished Blue Room will be featured. Experience the palaee as it was in the late 1880s with the period lighting from electric light bulbs that are copies of the ones used. The

grounds will be decorated with !anterns as it was in the 1880sfor eveningevents. Non-amplified Hawaiian music will be performed on the front steps of the palaee featuring loeal talent. These speci§l tours will be free of charge. However, reservations are recommended since spaces are limited. No one under 5 years admitted. Call 522-0832 beginning Monday, Dec. 2 to make a reservation or for more information.

A Family A-fair The llth annual "A Family A-fair," a Christmas arts and crafts fair, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8 on the grounds of McKinley High School. More than 80 booths, featuring unique and one of a kind gift items, will be held from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sponsored by the State Council on Hawaiian

Heritage as a benefit for its educational programs, the fair offers items such as wooden toys, clothing for all ages, including palaka shorts and shirts up to 5X, fresh green wreaths from Kamuela, plants, jewelry, appliqued pillows, and handmade gifts. A first time offering this year will be a gift wrapping booth where for a nominal fee your gifts will be wrapped and ready for the holidays. A special gift wrap will be covered lauhala container "boxes" tied with unusual decorations. These lauhala containers may also be purchased separately.

This booth will also offer a pound (24 pieces) of shortbread cookies, packed in a lauhala box and festively tied for only $10. These may be preordered by calling the State Council on Hawaiian Heritage at 536-6540 during regular business hours.