Saturday Briefing

By Nancy Daniels

Waikiki Beach Walk and Outrigger Enterprises Group are once again excited to play host to the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival. This cultural showcase features free exhibits, performances, and a spectacular Waikiki Parade over three days from Friday, March 13, to Sunday, March 15, 2009.

This year’s celebration carries the banner of “Pacific Harmony” and highlights the theme, “Heart of the Pacific, Creating our Future.” The three-day celebration will feature live musical and cultural performances, as well as impressive art exhibits from groups in Asia and the Pacific. The free events will be conveniently located at the Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Waikiki Shopping Plaza, and Waikiki Beach Walk, concluding with a Grand Parade through the heart of Waikiki on the final evening.

Among the highlight performers will be the Obama Girls from Obama, Japan, the daijayama or fire-breathing dragon float, and the Descendance aboriginal dance troupe from Australia. The festival is also a prime opportunity for cultural groups in Hawaii to share the beauty of their heritage with residents and visitors.

Tatsuo Watanabe, Secretary of Honolulu Festival Foundation; Kirk Caldwell, Managing Director of the City; Keiichi Tsujino, Chairman of Honolulu Festival Foundation; and David Carey

David Carey, President and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group, was on hand this past week at Waikiki Beach Walk when the Honolulu Festival held their press conference announcing this year’s festivities. During the press conference, David commented on how important events like the Honolulu Festival are to our state’s economy. “This is an ideal event that not only helps fill rooms, but because many visitors plan their trips around the Honolulu Festival. It also provides an opportunity for local people to enjoy and learn about the arts and culture of the Pacific and Asia.”

According to Honolulu Festival Foundation President Keiichi Tsujino, this year’s festival is expected to bring nearly 4,700 visitors from the mainland, Japan, and the Pacific Rim, who will spend $10 million in the local economy.

David also pointed out at the press conference that Waikiki Beach Walk is an ideal venue for part of the Honolulu Festival. “When we first envisioned Waikiki Beach Walk, we wanted to create a place that would become the center of activity in Waikiki, with cultural activities, musical performances, and all kinds of entertainment going on all the time,” David said. “It is personally gratifying to me to know that we have accomplished exactly that with events like the Honolulu Festival taking place right here at Waikiki Beach Walk.”

The Honolulu Festival was founded in 1995 to help promote cultural understanding and harmony between the people of Hawaii and Asia-Pacific. The Honolulu Festival is supported by the Honolulu Festival Foundation, a non-profit organization formed in 2000 to administer Festival activities and perpetuate the culture, customs, and traditions of Asians and Pacific Islanders through community outreach and charitable efforts. For more information, please visit www.honolulufestival.com.