By now no one doubts that the Wai'anae Coast Sunset on the Beach extravaganzas will attract colossal crowds — and yesterday's kickoff of the fifth annual outing was no exception.

Thousands of hungry revelers swarmed to Ma'ili Beach Park yesterday afternoon to eat, drink and have fun in anticipation of the night's big-screen attractions: "Beyond the Break" and "The Shaggy Dog."

"This is one of the largest Rediscovery Sunset events," said Patty Teruya, the city's special-events coordinator, who has spearheaded the Sunset on the Beach bashes at Ma'ili Beach.

This year's festival features 17 food booths, two stages with live entertainment, a marketplace, a car show with dozens of classic vehicles, seating for 900 in front of the big open-air screen and plenty of games, prizes and extra attractions — such as the watermelon-eating contest.

The whole affair ends tonight with a fireworks spectacular after the movie "Eight Below."

But behind all the excitement, Teruya says, the festival also hosts practical information and education components, such as the Health Expo and the Non-Profit Showcase.

AlohaCare, a health plan that serves Quest members exclusively, was a newcomer this year.

"This is our first sponsorship out here," said spokeswoman Susie Nguyen at the AlohaCare booth. "We're excited because most of our members are out here. We have about 15,000 members on the Leeward side and 7,000 members alone in Wai'anae."

Not far away Joycelyn Kaeo of Nanakuli was escorting her younger cousin, Lydia Ka'aloa, 6, through the free exam battery at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center tent.

Having passed her blood pressure test with flying colors — 119 over 69 — Lydia balked at the blood sugar screening table, which required a pinprick and drawing blood from one finger.

"The blood pressure was fun," said Lydia, as she left the tent. "But I had three of those at the doctor's."

Even the movie had an educational component.

"Before the feature film we will be showing Edgy Lee's film 'Recovery Works,' " said Teruya. "We want to make sure we get the drug awareness and alcohol-free message out to our community."

To that end, Bobby Newman, executive director of Narconon Hawai'i, was handing out free "Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free: What Parents Need To Know," DVD kits that have been promoted by actress and Punahou graduate Kelly Preston.

Newman said the program has been successful in 40 countries, but the kit he's handing out at the festival is made for Hawai'i.

"Parts of the program are designed to fit the cultural population of Hawai'i," said Newman, a certified chemical-dependency counselor.

Nearby, Aloha Kekipi, who's with the Wai'anae Hawaiian Civic Club, was answering voter questions and registering people to go to the polls.

"Do you want better schools, affordable housing, a drug-free community and no more traffic problems?" Kekipi's sign read. "Then vote!"

"We can register homeless people," she said. "All we need is a place they consider a residence, the nearest intersecting streets, and the post office where their mail comes general delivery."

Kekipi said there are even groups that will see to it that homeless voters have transportation to their polling places.

A homeless group was encamped on the beach at the far western end of the park, and many of them attended the Sunset on the Beach party.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.