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Get a whiff of this
Garlic lovers and others are in for an aromatic treat at the Hawai'i Garlic Festival and Home Grown Products show, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sept. 21 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Waikiki Shell. A produce sale, extreme games, keiki activities, wine tasting and lots of entertainment are also in store. Admission is $5, free for 12 and younger and those 65 or older. Pre-sale tickets are $3 at the Great Aloha Run office, 418 Kuwili St., No. 102, in Iwilei. It's a benefit for several local charities. 528-7388.

ALOHA FESTIVALS: Sept. 13-14
It's time to get out the mu'umu'u and aloha shirts for the Aloha Festivals Downtown Ho'olaule'a Sept. 13 around Bishop Street; and the annual Floral Parade Sept. 14 on a route from Ala Moana Park to Kapi'olani Park. There will be kaukau and lots of island music — Hawaiian, Jawaiian and more — at the ho'olaulea; and plenty of marching bands, decorated floats, and music in the parade. Bring money for the street festival, and wear sunscreen for the parade. And proudly wear an Aloha Festivals ribbon ($5, vendors will be available). 6:30-10 p.m. Sept. 13, downtown / from 9 a.m. Sept. 14, from Ala Moana to Waikiki / 589-1771

CONCERTS: Sept. 13, 15
Break out your suits and gowns, or just go casual: It's symphony time! Two concerts featuring violinist Hilary Hahn and concertmaster Ignace Jang kick off the Honolulu Symphony season of classics. The Halekulani MasterWorks concerts will include works by Bach and Brahms. Tickets are $15-$57, available at the Dole Cannery symphony office, Blaisdell box office and Ticket Plus outlets. 8 p.m. Sept. 13, 4 p.m. Sept. 15 / Blaisdell Concert Hall / 792-2000

STAGE: Sept. 20-28
"The Boy Who Stole the Stars," a drama by Julian Wiles, is about a boy (Kevin Pacheco) who enlists the help of his dying grandfather (James Davenport) to "count the stars" as his science project. On a broader level, the tale links the nighttime skies with the essence of friendship, and is the season's opener at Kennedy Theatre. Tamara Hunt directs. Plays at 8 p.m. Sept. 20, 21, 28 and 2 p.m. Sept. 29. Tickets: $10 general, $9 seniors, military and UH faculty, $7 students and children and $3 UH-Manoa students. Premieres at 8 p.m. Sept. 20 / Kennedy Theatre / 956-7655

DANCE CONCERT: Sept. 27
"At the Hop," the ultimate oldies rock dance concert, will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Blaisdell Arena, and it's a certified stroll down memory lane. Making their island debuts: Danny and the Juniors, featuring Joe Terry (Danny is deceased), the group that clicked with "At the Hop," "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" and "Twisting USA"; and Bill Haley's Comets, featuring Al Rappa (Haley is deceased), known for "Rock Around the Clock," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "Burn That Candle," "See Ya Later, Alligator," "Razzle Dazzle" and "Skinny Minnie."
There are two returning bands:
The Coasters, whose hits included "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Along Came Jones," "Little Egypt," "Poison Ivy," "Searchin,'" "Smokey Joe's Cafe"; and The Drifters, whose signatures include "There Goes My Baby," "This Magic Moment," "Save the Last Dance for Me," "Up on the Roof," "On Broadway" and "Under the Boardwalk." Tickets: $25 for upper level seats, $35 for dance level and loge seating. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 / Blaisdell Arena / 526-4400, 591-2211

CONCERT: Oct. 4-5
Nancy Sinatra brings her boots and song bag to two shows at Gussie L'Amour's, 3251 N. Nimitz Highway. Sinatra is the toots who sang "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in 1966, and she's had a number of '60s hits, such as "Sugar Town," "So Long Babe," "How Does That Grab You Darlin'?" and — with her dad, Frank Sinatra — "Something Stupid." Her latest CD is "California Girl." Tickets: $35 general, $30 advance. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 4-5 / Gussie L'Amours / 836-7883 (Gussie's), 622-6928 (Gold Zone)

CONCERTS: Sept. 13-14
Two top Christian acts — FFH (Far From Home) and ApologetiX — and local artists Reign and Tiffany Thurston and the Halau of New Hope offer a pair concerts and fellowship. FFH recently was nominated for a Dove Award for pop/contemporary album of the year for its "Have I Ever Told You" release. ApologetiX is a pop/rock ensemble that specializes in religious parodies of popular hits. Tickets: $15, $25 and $35, available at the Hawai'i Theatre box office, Showers of Blessings, Agape Shoppe, Logos Bookstore and The Giving Tree. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13-14 / Hawai'i Theatre / 528-0506

CONCERT: Sept. 14
The Lifou Island Dance Theatre, a 16-member ensemble from Lifou, one of the "neighbor islands" of New Caledonia, will perform a concert of traditional Melanesian song and dance at Andrews Amphitheatre, University of Hawai'i-Manoa. Expect ethnicity at its most authentic, as performers in painted faces and tropical costumes share the songs of its culture, as well as those of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Tahiti. Bring a camera — the colorful array of body decoration is something for the scrapbook. Tickets: $12 general, $8 students and seniors. 4:30-6 p.m. Sept. 14 / Andrews Amphitheatre, University of Hawai'i / 944-7584

CONCERT: Sept. 21
Get ready to rock your nostalgia off as Hale'iwa hosts "Rock Fest," featuring Atomic Punks, below, an early Van Halen tribute band; the Aerosmith tribute band ROCKS; the Rush tribute band Moving Pictures; and special guests SLUG and Southbound. It's an all-ages show at the North Shore Marketplace Entertainment Field. Tickets go on sale today: $20 general, $17.50 advance, available at Tower Records, military ticket outlets, BBC store in Hale'iwa, Rainbow Books and Records. Noon-6 p.m. (doors open 11 a.m.) Sept. 21 / North Shore Marketplace Entertainment Field / 637-3074, 372-6075, 622-2196

STAGE: Sept. 27-Oct. 13
"Chicago," the Bob Fosse musical about two Roaring Twenties murderesses (Roxie Hart, played by Tricia Marciel, and Velma Kelly, enacted by Katie Leiva), has a sizzling score by John Kander, including "All That Jazz," "Cell Block Tango," "When You're Good to Mama," "Mr. Cellophane," "Razzle Dazzle" and "Class" — each a virtual show-stopper. Andrew Sakaguchi directs and choreographs. Curtain: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 4 p.m. Fridays. Tickets: $10-$40. Premieres at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 / Diamond Head Theatre / 733-0274

STAGE: Oct. 5
"Hello, Broadway," a stage revue assembling melodies from shows such as "Les Miserables," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cats" and more, will pause at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. The good news: The performing cast includes locals Cliffton Hall, right, and Jade Stice. The bad news: There are only two performances, at 2 and 8 p.m. DeeDee Lynn Magno and Welly Young, of New York's Second Generation company, also are prominently featured. Tickets: $24, $38, $48, $58; discounts for seniors and students. 2 and 8 p.m. Oct. 5 / Blaisdell Concert Hall / 526-4400

Submit information for The Great Index to Fun (TGIF) four-week guide at least 10 working days before the event. This planner appears weekly, featuring major events only; others are listed in the weekend and daily calendars.
Write: TGIF, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802, or fax 525-8055. Schedule is subject to change.

Correction: Members of the Lifou Island Dance Theatre will perform dance and music from their Melanesian homeland in a concert from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at Andrews Amphitheatre. Tickets will be available at the gate from 3:30 p.m. For information, call 944-7584. Information in a previous version of this listing was incorrect.