Paliku Arts Festival Has It All

Paliku Arts Festival chairman Ben Moffat posts the sign for the annual celebration of hands-on creativity April 11 at Windward Community College. Photo by Bodie Collins, bcollins@midweek.com.

There’s so much to do at Paliku Arts Festival, it’s a wonder it all fits into six hours — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday — when Windward CC stages its fifth annual art extravaganza.

Highlights include free, 40-minute performances of The Magical Pu Stealer at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Paliku Theatre (encores of February’s debut run); Casey Kitano on ukulele at 12:30 p.m. on stage, and two full-dome shows at Hokulani Imaginarium — Secrets of the Dragon and Music of the Spheres. (Admission to Secrets is $3.) Gallery ‘Iolani also has a new exhibit by 28 Alaskan artists, Communities, Disaster and Change.

The 19th Avenue Barbershop Quartet, Royal Hawaiian Band, Saxophones on the Rock, Castle High School jazz band, Best 4 Last and other Windward talents will perform throughout the day.

But the real focus of the festival is hands-on art in the form of demonstrations and workshops in acting, poetry, ceramics, piano, camera obscura, drawing, woodcarving, sculpture, hula, stage combat, printmaking, screen-writing, fiction and more.

Erin’s Shave Ice, India Café, Kaneohe’s Brick Oven Pizza and The Hub Coffee Shop will satisfy hunger and thirst. There’s also a used book sale, a quiet area for moms and infants, free parking — and everything is accessible.

For more information, visit palikuarts.com, call 724-1808 or email beb517@hotmail.com.