The fourth annual Hawaii Island Mango Festival offers three days of juicy jive this weekend and next.
First up is the Mango Tango Dance and Desserts FUNdraiser today, Saturday, in Kealakekua at the New Thought Center in Pualani Terrace on Hwy. 11. Enjoy a tango dancing show, dessert bar, hand-crafted ales from Kona Brewing Company, silent auction and door prizes from 6-9 p.m. Get in on the salsa dance lessons from 6-6:30 p.m., followed by music by the Mango Tango band and a live Argentine tango performance. Tickets are $10 and extra donations are tax deductible. For tickets, phone 808-887-1292 or 808-756-4700 or get them online at www.newthoughtcenterofhawaii.com .
The free Mango Festival is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. next weekend, July 28-29, at the Keauhou Beach Resort. The family event offers mango-themed displays, arts and crafts, mangolicious food and drinks, recipe contest, culinary demonstration, agriculture and garden-themed presentations and belly dancing workshops. The entertainment lineup offers a wide variety of performing arts: Latin funk band Leche de Tigre Trio, reggae artist Sahra Indio, dancer Willow Change, Anela Strings, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko-Kohala performing Okinawan Eisa Taiko and local hula halau.
Kumu Keala Ching and Na Wai Iwi Ola Hula Halau open the festival with a traditional blessing and hula at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Both the Mango Tango FUNdraiser and the free community festival are presented by the non-profit Sanctuary of Mana Ke‘a Gardens. The community is invited to collaborate, support and participate.
Exhibitor booths for July 28-29 are available for businesses and non- profit organizations. Volunteers are encouraged to help with festival day activities, speaker support and workshops. Find vendor and volunteer signup forms at mangofestival.org.
?Thanks to Fern Gavelek for this story.
