Neighbor Island briefs

Advertiser Staff and News Services

MAUI

Maui festivities mark new year

LAHAINA, Maui — Lahaina town will celebrate the Year of the Horse from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday when a portion of Front Street will be blocked off for a traditional Chinese lion dance and other festivities.

More than 30 students from Ben Seng Au's Shaolin Arts Society of O'ahu will perform the lion dance and demonstrate healing arts and self-defense, followed by a blessing of the historic Wo Hing Temple museum. Firecrackers will be set off on the street every hour.

The Wo Hing Society will play host to an exhibition at the museum, including displays of traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits of the old Wo Hing Society, ceremonial documents and Chinese artifacts. The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

On Saturday, the museum will present a calligraphy demonstration from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and qi-gong and tai chi demonstrations from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

During the evening event, the 800 block of Front Street will be the site of arts and crafts activities for children, calligraphy and acupuncture/acupressure demonstrations.

The celebration is being coordinated by the Lahaina Town Action Committee and sponsored by the County of Maui. For more information, call the Lahaina Visitor Center at (808) 667-9193.

Whale lecture scheduled

KIHEI, Maui — The freeing of entangled whales will be the topic of a lecture Tuesday at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary headquarters.

David Mattila, director of whale rescue for the Center of Coastal Studies, will talk about his work on the East Coast rescuing whales from abandoned fishing gear. Mattila was recently appointed a staff member of the sanctuary. His title is research and rescue adviser.

The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. at sanctuary headquarters, 726 S. Kihei Road. For more information, call (808) 879-2818.