COURTESY HONOLULU FESTIVAL
The Honolulu Festival brings performers from all over the Pacific, including a Formosan aboriginal troupe.
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Honolulu Festival rides again
Star-Bulletin staff
A star anime voice actor, and the return of an aboriginal dance troupe and a fire-spitting dragon, highlight this year's Honolulu Festival. Performers and artisans from around the Pacific will converge for a two-day celebration of music, dance, art and culture. All events are free, and a grand parade that culminates the festival runs down Kalakaua Avenue 4:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
HONOLULU FESTIVAL
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, to 3 p.m. Sunday
Places: Hawaii Convention Center, Waikiki Beach Walk, Waikiki Shopping Plaza and Ala Moana Centerstage
Call: 926-2424; for a detailed schedule, visit honolulufestival.com
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The 14th annual festival promotes cultural understanding among the people of the Asia-Pacific region.
More than 5,500 singers, dancers and artisans from Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, the Philippines and the U.S. mainland will be featured.
The dragon returns after a two-year absence. It measures 20 feet high and 33 feet in length, and hails from Kyushu, Japan. More than 200 handlers will accompany the float.
The Australian aboriginal dance troupe Descendance returns for the fourth consecutive year.
COURTESY HONOLULU FESTIVAL
Australian aboriginal dancers have been among the performers featured at the Honolulu Festival.
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For the second year in a row, the Maui campus of Kamehameha High School has won the Maui Mikoshi design contest, and 41 of its students will carry their winning decorative float in the parade.
Events at the convention center include:
» The anticipated debut by local anime fans of Haruko "Halko" Momoi, a popular voice actor who also has launched a pop music career. She'll be doing two shows: 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday and 2:50 to 3:20 p.m. Sunday. Momoi also will have a meet-and-greet autograph session following Saturday's concert.
COURTESY HONOLULU FESTIVAL
A Formosan aboriginal troupe performed at a previous festival.
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» New to the festival is the Ennichi Corner, which will introduce children to traditional Japanese games, crafts and traditions (some games might include a nominal fee).
» The display of more than 60 quilts made by students of Poakalani & Co. Quilt demonstrations and workshops also will be part of the program.
» At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, a cultural seminar will explore the life and legacy of Joseph Heco (born Hikotaro), the first naturalized U.S. citizen of Japanese ancestry.
» Friendship Gala 2008, a fundraising event to benefit the Honolulu Festival Foundation, runs 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $85 ($35 of which is tax-deductible). Call 596-3327.