Third annual Ka Mole O Na Pua Festival at Leeward Community College

A family festival celebrating sustainability through word, music and interactive events

Leeward Community College
Contact:
Bobbie Martel, (808) 455-0632
Ka Mole Festival Chair
Kathleen R. Cabral, (808) 455-0524
Marketing Officer, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Apr 6, 2011

Hawaiian activities for keiki
Hawaiian activities for keiki
From horse-drawn carriage rides to robotics, Leeward Community College’s third annual Ka Mole O Na Pua Festival offers a diverse slate of engaging activities in celebration of sustainability. Presented on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the campus courtyards, the festival features cooking demos, entertainment, local vendors, food, keiki crafts, Hawaiian games and hands-on educational activities for young children. The festival is free with ample free parking. Mats, lawn chairs and coolers are welcomed.

Highlights include entertainment by Brother Noland, Ernie Cruz Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Starr Kalahiki, Tony Conjugacion, Chief Ragga and Mailani.

Two new additions to the festival are RoboFest Hawai‘i and a Wind and Solar Race Car Challenge. RoboFest Hawai‘i, an international autonomous robotics event, offers more than 65 student groups demonstrating robotic challenges through games and exhibitions. The Wind and Solar Race Car Challenge, coordinated by the college’s Office of Continuing Education, features windmill and solar powered race cars on a track for children to enjoy.

The free festival also includes:
  • Aerial, acrobatics workshops for children with Samadhi
  • Carriage rides by Honolulu Horse and Carriage
  • Keiki arts and crafts
  • Healthy vegetarian cooking class demonstrations by “Mama T” from Down to Earth
  • Hawaiian games and cultural activities
  • Read alouds and local-style storytelling
  • Climbing wall and low ropes challenge with Kamaʻaina Kids
  • Environmental art with Oahu Underground Artisans
  • Mālama na Honu
  • Highlands Intermediate School science projects related to sustainability
  • Demonstrations and worm sale by Ewablue Worm Composting
  • Daylong entertainment
  • Locally made crafts, clothing and jewelry
  • Information and demonstrations on sustainable, “green” practices and products
  • Organic food, produce and product booths
Ka Mole O Na Pua Festival is the kick off event of the Earth Week celebration at the college. The name Ka Mole, Hawaiian for the main root of a plant, illustrates the relationship between kupuna and keiki. As the main root nurtures the plant, the intent of the festival is to educate and engage young people in taking care of our environment.

Festival Chair Bobbie Martel explains, “Malama i ka ‘aina, taking care of the land, ensures that she will take care of us. Sustainability is critically important for us as individuals and communities. We hope the festival offers a legacy to our keiki and future generations to do the same.”

Martel, program coordinator for Leeward CC’s associate in arts in education program, is linking the festival’s hands-on and reading activities to the Leeward students studying to become teachers. Ka Mole O Na Pua Festival embraces the vision of a sustainable future. The performances and activities will cultivate a greater awareness and sensitivity to both island and global inter-dependencies.

Details on all activities, vendors and food are online.

For more information, visit: http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/cs/kamole/