After a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth annual Waimea Fall Festival returns from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Spencer K. Schutte Waimea District Park. Admission is free, and general parking will open at 9 a.m.
The fun-filled family festival, hosted by Waimea Athletics and sponsored by Manuela Malasadas, will feature a pumpkin patch, keiki games and activities, entertainment, a craft sale, community information booths and exhibits, and lots of food.
Keiki will enjoy a full day of fun with face-painting and tattoos by Kanu o Ka Aina students, train rides, outdoor zorb ball by Honokaa High School girls soccer, inflatable bounce houses and water slides, and a petting zoo.
There will be an indoor keiki game zone hosted by the Waimea Cowboys football team featuring all-day carnival games with a $15 wristband. All-day wristbands ($25) also will be available for the outdoor inflatables and waterslides. Attendees are encouraged to bring lots of sunscreen, a swimsuit, towel and beach chairs. This is a rain or shine event.
A highlight of the event will be the military static display, including the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific’s MV-22B Osprey Tiltrotor, which will be open to the public for tours. The U.S. Army at Pohakuloa Training Area will have a series of exhibits, including a surprise aircraft display and a brush truck.
Live entertainment will be featured throughout the day, with “the voice of Honokaa,” Dominic Yagong, as emcee. This year’s lineup includes the Honokaa High School Jazz Band, Beamer-Solomon Halau ‘O Po‘ohala with kumu Hulali Solomon-Covington, Cameron Hart, Aloha Kings, Pacific Rhythm and more.
Food booths will offer a variety of mouth-watering delights, including burgers and fries, poke bowls, sushi rolls, steak, tacos, Colombian empanadas, ramen, won ton chips, smoked pork plates, hot dogs, chili dogs, chili bowls, and more. There also will be a variety of beverages and desserts, including malasadas, banana bread, cookies, cotton candy, dippin’ dots and Chinese pretzels.
Also featured will be a variety of local craft booths for early holiday shopping, and numerous community organizations will be on hand to share information about their work and resources.
All food, craft, and activity sales are cash (no scrip), with the exception of all-day wristbands for the outdoor inflatables ($25) and the indoor keiki zone ($15).
Presale information for outdoor inflatables wristbands will be available online at waimeaathletics.org.
Attendees can pick up their prepaid wristbands at Will Call on event day beginning at 9:30 a.m. Wristband information for the indoor keiki game zone is available from any Waimea Cowboys football team member.
The last Waimea Fall Festival held in 2019 attracted more than 6,000 people, and organizers are planning for a similar crowd this year.
“We have an awesome team of volunteers who are excited to bring back this family-friendly event for our island community and provide opportunities for youth programs to raise funds for their team or programs,” said Melissa Samura, event coordinator for Waimea Athletics and the Waimea Fall Festival. “We’re grateful for the enthusiastic support from our island community, businesses, schools, nonprofits and youth organizations to make the Waimea Fall Festival a memorable day for everyone.”
Proceeds from the Waimea Fall Festival benefit participating non-profit organizations and local businesses, including sport equipment sponsorships provided by Waimea Athletics for community youth programs at Waimea facilities.
For more information, or to volunteer, visit waimeaathletics.org.