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| - I found the Aloha Festival to be a great free event. 2011 was my first year attending and I must say I can't wait to take my family and hopefully some friends in 2012. I found there to be great entertainment, food, prices, and more. To start we had the option to ride the light rail right to the park but because one of the ladies we were with was handicap we were able to park in the parking garage for free. It looked like there was a lot of easy access parking all around. We only had a short walk right across the street to the festival. From the parking lot I could hear all of the calming Hawaiian music.
As we walked in we were greeted by some of the festival volunteers who by the way were all so nice. The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming smell of some amazing foods and also the stages with entertainers all around. Watching the dancing in itself was such an amazing part of my experience at the festival. Most of the dancers told stories about the queen and the traditions in Hawaii. Not only were they all so amazing and talented but their colorful costumes, interesting hair, and fast moves were just incredible. Some dancers wore cloth skirts and cloths around their chest. The Tahitian dancers wore big helmets and danced to the extremely fast music. It almost looked as though there hips weren't even connected to their bodies. Other dancers were wearing their hair in a Pele style after the queen. I learned that they will braid their hair the night before and take it out the day of to show their long beautiful curls. I've only seen the hula dancing, and flame dances on TV so to see all of this in person was really just a great experience in itself. BUT there is so much more to look forward to!
My friend brought me on this little adventure so she had all of the food recommendations. There are so many food vendors to choose from everything from American food, to traditional Hawaiian and Tahitian food. Everyone in our group kept talking about a place called the Aloha kitchen so we had planned to eat there. Walking up to their booth I was blown away by the long lines and amount of people starting to arrive as the minutes passed. I could smell so many different foods so I couldn't help but get a little impatient while waiting in line. Thankfully the line went rather quickly and it was our turn to order. The people working were so nice and just happy to assist us even though we had a large group to feed. I ordered the Kalbi Short Ribs they were incredible. I can't even put in to words how good the food was! The overall pricing wasn't bad either. My Kalbi ribs came with rice and something they call potato mac all for under $10. The crowd was growing but there were still lots of nice places to sit and enjoy the entertainment.
If you are looking for authentic Hawaiian items this is the place to go. I was told that when organizing this event they are only looking for authentic merchandise. You can find anything from real flower leis, ear flowers, hats, Hawaiian pieces of art, music, and so much more all for such a great deal. I myself have never had the pleasure of going to Hawaii but my family and friends that have always talk about how expensive it is. So I found that it was a great taste of Hawaiian culture without the 6 hour flight and everything else that comes along with being a tourist on vacation. I can't wait to go in 2012 with my family and I hope to bring others along because the entire event was such a great experience for me.
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