Keiki Kalikimaka

Nine-year-old Nicole Ishii of Holy Family Catholic Academy delivered the first penguin of the season. Look for more holiday artistry in this space through December, with all the pieces featured and a winner announced on Christmas Day. Send children's ornament illustrations with age, school and phone number to Keiki Kalikimaka, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Ste 7-210, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

Gingerbread fest a family treat

Amid the alluring aroma of baked gingerbread, hundreds of families will go to work building houses — gingerbread houses, that is —at the Ninth Annual Gingerbread Family Festivals tomorrow at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

The popular event, a benefit for Easter Seals Hawaii, comprises two sessions, at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., wherein folks are provided a table space and the fixings to create the gingerbread home of their dreams.

Napoleon Bakery baked 3,000 houses and volunteers bagged 18,300 packages of candy decorations for the event.

Other happenings at the festival include visits with Santa and holiday entertainment. During the morning session, chef Alan Wong and his restaurant crew will be building a gingerbread village; at 1 p.m., 10 corporate teams will compete to construct various gingerbread creations.

This year, organizers will take walk-ins at the two community sessions, and take-out kits will also be available for purchase. Fee is $39. Call 536-1015.

Event welcomes cookie monsters

Calling all cookie monsters for Hawaii Kai Church's annual Christmas Cookie Walk.

Homemade cookies, gift baskets and specialty wraps will be sold from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow at 265 Lunalilo Home Road, across from the 76 Gas Station and the Hawaii Kai Public Library.

There will also be crafts and hot drinks, including apple cider.

All proceeds go to disaster relief efforts. Call 395-9494 for information.

HEALTH

Pole dancing is a fitness regimen at new Fit for a Goddess facility

Fit For a Goddess will be holding its grand opening today from 5 to 9 p.m.

Owner and director Ilana Fernandez and her staff have created a sanctuary that combines feminine health with ancient fitness practices.

During the opening, instructors will be demonstrating their pole dancing-for-fitness program. Families and friends are also invited to the opening. And there will be door prizes for the first 20 women who walk through the door.

Fernandez says that pole fitness is an 800-year-old practice, starting in India as a form of yoga.

Join the fun at 320 Ward Ave., Suite 202.