ART

Hawaii Theatre resounds with music and dance

Hawaii Arts Alliance will honor Edith and Keiji Kawakami at its 27th annual benefit and concert at Hawaii Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The show features two generations of family performers, with an array of music and dance by such musicians as Manoa DNA and the Rev. Dennis and David Kamakahi. Eddie Kamae also is slated to appear, as is ukulele player Neal Chin.

The Kawakamis will receive the Alfred Preis award for lifetime achievement in the arts. In addition, several schools from the Big Island, Maui and Oahu will be recognized for their excellence in the arts.

Tickets are $20 to $65. Call 528-0506 or visit www.hawaiitheatre.com.

FAMILY

Hawaiian culture stars at Summer Palace event

Spend Saturday at Queen Emma Summer Palace for its annual fundraiser featuring a family day of Hawaiian culture and entertainment, plus great food.

Various halau and performances by Jerry Santos and Friends and the Royal Hawaiian Band, alongside seafood by Elmer Guzman of Poke Stop, highlight the day. Other activities include Hawaiian storytelling, keiki crafts, native Hawaiian art demonstrations, a plant sale and bake sale.

Festivities run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 adults and $1 children. Proceeds from the event will go toward the preservation of the palace, located at 2913 Pali Highway, and Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. Call 595-6291.

FESTIVAL

Discover Moiliili Festival has food, music and fun

It's a neighborhood you pass through, but have you ever really explored Moiliili? The 13th annual Discover Moiliili Festival, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, is the perfect time to stop and enjoy this distinct neighborhood.

A variety of entertainment includes dragon and lion dances, belly dancing and the Royal Hawaiian Band. A 20-minute town trolley tour for $2 also will keep you occupied, as will the food (think lilikoi jelly, mango chutney, takuwan, artisan breads, senbei and old stadium mix), 25 craft booths, face painting and a photo exhibition. There's also a country store and a book sale. Even the mayor will make an appearance!

The theme of the day is “;A Community at the Crossroads,”; which emphasizes historic elements of the region. The festival will be held at Old Stadium Park at the corner of South King and Isenberg streets. Call 955-1555 or visit www.moiliilicc.org.

FOOD

Whole Foods

Kahala Mall, 4211 Waialae Ave. / 738-0820

Everyone expected Whole Foods to come in and compete with established grocers, but on a couple of recent visits, it didn't seem like there were a lotta cooks in the place. Instead, people are treating it like a food court, clinging to the perimeters, whether for salads or for food cooked up hot and ready to eat. There is much to suit every diet plan.

Most impressive is the fresh fish. Marinated fillets of swordfish, salmon, opah and ahi sell for market prices of about $13.99 to $21.99 per pound, with single fillets tending to weigh about half a pound, making an opah steak with soy-ginger sauce $6.30, and a fillet of sesame-crusted salmon $7.69, no more than the cost of a typical plate lunch. I trust you know how to cook rice. It's easy enough to toss the fish into a skillet at home, but Whole Foods will grill or fry the fish for you, a 15-minute wait while you fill your cart in the other departments.

A whole chicken is $10.99, about $4 more than other grocery chickens, without looking much different, but taste it and you'll be treated to tender, smoky meat with a touch of Cajun spices on the skin.

Smoked meats are offered as well, with a different $8.99 plate special daily, such as smoked beef Mondays and Thursdays, pork Tuesdays and Saturdays, sausages Fridays, and chicken Wednesdays and Sundays. It's $9.99 for a combo plate with rice and a choice of one side (macaroni salad, baked beans or potato salad). You'll also find sandwich, sushi and other ethnic specialties like tempura and bulgogi, pizza (sold at about $9.99 a pound, so a 4-by-3 inch slice of cheese and mushroom pizza is about $2.30), plus salad bar fixings at $8.99 per pound.

To finish, there are in-house and Ba-Le desserts as a finale to an elegant meal costing about $25 for two. Wine is extra, available here as well. And it's best to visit on weekdays, when the aisles are mostly free of the weekend's culinary tourists.

MUSIC

Makaha Sons close out museum's concert series

Don't miss the Makaha Sons in Bishop Museum's final Mele on the Lawn for the year.

The outdoor concert on the grounds of the museum starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Bring beach chairs (low-kine only, please) or a blanket, kick back and listen to the concert under the stars. No coolers or outside food are allowed, but a variety of eateries will be on hand to appease appetites.

Tickets are $15 advance, $10 for Bank of Hawaii customers and employees and $20 on the day of the event. Bishop Museum members, military and children under 4 are free. Call 847-8290, or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.