34,000 purchase local products
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Pineapple Portuguese sausage, shorts sewn from the fabric of rice bags, and fried green tomatoes with mayo-wasabi dipping sauce — if it wasn't at the Blaisdell this weekend, it probably wasn't made in Hawai'i.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
More than 400 vendors — corporate to craftsmen, farmers to fine artists — peddled their wares Friday, Saturday and yesterday at the ninth annual Made in Hawai'i Festival, and about 34,000 people came to buy, said Ed Thompson, show manager and executive director of the Hawai'i Food Industry Association.
Andilena Pacifico of Kailua examined Twisterz, a type of wind catcher, at the Made in Hawai'i Festival yesterday at the Blaisdell Center. An official said 34,000 people came to buy, but the number of customers was down about 3,000 from last year.
The number of customers was down about 3,000 from last year, he said, and he thinks limited parking might have contributed. The lot filled several times during the weekend, forcing festival goers to circle until spots freed up.
"We're going to have to coordinate with the neighbors," he said. "See if we can get some space at McKinley or the medical arts building. Or maybe a shuttle."
Debbie Mann of Nu'uanu had to circle the block a couple of times, waiting for a space to open up. That didn't dim her enthusiasm. She made her purchase and walked back to her car wearing a dreamy smile.
"A lomi stick!" she said. "I've been walking around here getting so much relief."
The stick, from Lomi Sticks by Ronald, was bent just right, allowing her to massage the sore spots near her spine.
"I haven't been to a thing like this in years," said Nyna Weiser of Foster Village. "Usually craft fairs are so small, and I'm disappointed. But I'm really pleased with this, and I bought stuff."
She took home a dress for her daughter, a bag for herself and a jar of lemon curd. She liked shopping craft booths in air conditioning, she said.
Other customers shopped booths offering Hawaiian-made chocolates, watches with petroglyphs or cheese from Maui goats.
There were booths with hand-painted T-shirts, booths with homegrown produce, and booths selling tropical fruit salsas, chutneys and butters and soaps.
There were also freebies: Mauna Loa offered samples of its newest offering, Caramel Macadamia Stars. Diamond Bakery had an array of animal crackers.
"I think this is wonderful," said B.J. VanScoy of Kailua. "Everything is so well made.
"I wish they'd promote it more with the tourists. Lets face it, it is hard for our artists to make a living here, and if they put up some fliers in the hotels, they could stretch it out for a whole week."
Reach Karen Blakeman at 535-2430 or kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.
