STAR-BULLETIN / 2000 The serene Buddha statue aglow with the light of luminaria, is just one of the highlights in the Foster Botanical Garden "Midsummer Night's Gleam" tomorrow.

Enchanted evening

Fantasy lights up Foster Botanical
Garden's Midsummer Night's Gleam

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By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

Foster Botanical Garden will be transformed tomorrow night into a place of enchantment, where majestic trees loom overhead and thousands of paper luminarias light the garden trails.

Pick up ideas for your home garden while butterfly princesses flutter about, and harps, bagpipes, belly dancers and a lion dance add to the allure of the magical festival of lights. Kwan Yin fortune stick readings and feng shui consultations will also be available on site.

Midsummer Night's Gleam, the garden's annual affair, is fun for kids of all ages. Dance troupes, keiki activities and cultural displays are highlights of the event.

Babs Miyano-Young plans to encase folks in larger-than-life-size bubbles on one of the inner garden paths.

Initially, Miyano-Young and her husband were asked to provide art activities at the event. "We used to do light sculptures and things like that," Babs said. "Now that I have kids of my own, I wanted to do more hands-on activities where the audience is involved."

A hula hoop becomes Babs' bubble wand. Side pools also are filled with bubble solution with shaped wands so people can make their own bubbles.

Bubble boys and girls don't have to worry about being drenched in bubble solution because they'll be standing in a dry area.

FOSTER BONTANICAL GARDENS The event promises fun for the entire family, including a chance to be encased in a giant bubble.

"It's like a moat of bubble solution around them. I pull the bubble wall around them, and they step out when I bring the hoop back down," Babs said. "Then people go off on their merry way.

"I end up covered in bubble solution at the end of the night. After about four or five hours of full squats, it's a pretty good workout -- for both my arms and legs," she said.

She's hoping that rain and wind -- two forces bad for bubbles -- are not a part of the evening.

If you're not the bubbly sort, you might cross over to medieval times. Khante of the Golden Horde plans to replicate history with ancient martial arts demonstrations and an authentic Mongolian encampment, complete with handmade armor and weaponry such as swords, axes, bows and arrows, and shields.

"Some people try to cheat and mail-order their stuff," said Kaleo McGuire, chairman for the encampment.

McGuire's armor is made out of small plates of leather hardened by beeswax. Others may use plastic or metal materials. The warriors will present fighting and archery demonstrations and set up a leather tent where arts and crafts, pottery and armor-making skills will be showcased.

"I was always fascinated with the armor," McGuire said. "Initially, I started doing this for the fighting, but it grows on you, and then the culture becomes more interesting. It's all about the fun of fighting -- that adrenaline rush when you charge to the line."

Midsummer Night's Gleam Where: Foster Botanical Garden, 50 N. Vineyard Blvd. When: 4:30 to 10 p.m. tomorrow Admission: Free Call: 522-7060 or 537-1708

Club membership includes several older women. "They are not physically capable of getting on the field," McGuire said, "but they go out of their way to make costumes for people. They even make us homemade meals at our campouts."

And wishes can come true when visiting the Tanabata Wish Tree. Visitors are encouraged to write down their wishes on pieces of paper that will be hung on the tree. The legend of Tanabata began after two stars, a Weaver Princess star and Herd Boy star, were in love. The princess star was the daughter of a heavenly king. The herd boy was of a lowly birth. The king allowed them to be married, but because they were in love, they forgot to do their work. The king was outraged and sent them to live on opposite sides of the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet once in July, as they cross paths in the sky.

Kathy Tosh of Foster Botanical Gardens said her wish did come true. "I asked for help with my weaving. My loom had been in storage."

Since then, Tosh has created pieces suitable for display, and she'll be working at the tree this year trying to make wishes come true for others, adding, "My husband wished for a new barbecue. His wish came true, too."

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