Okay sports fans, who is in the mood to run? Why do I ask? Well, on November 12, the Rotary Club of Kauai will be holding their 9th Annual Old Koloa Sugar Mill Run!

This run will start at Anne Knudsen Park at 7am for the 10 mile, 7:15 for the 10K and 5K run, and 7:30 for the 5K walk. And if you want to participate, it pays to sign up early. After all, it’s $30 online if you sign up before the 10th, but it’s $40 if you wait and sign up the morning of the event. Plus, if you sign up just before the run, your free t-shirt might not fit; you’ll be stuck with the leftovers.

Want to hear the best part? Okay, maybe it’s only the best part for me since I need to be motivated to run long distances. But my point is that there is a continental breakfast for the participants that will be served after the races at 9am. That is also the time when the winners of the runs will be announced. (Sorry walkers – no prizes for you.)

Awards will be given for each of the three racing categories (10-mile, 10K, 5K) to both male and female finishers. There will also be medals given to age group winners. So, if you want to make this a race with the whole family, go for it! And if you family just wants to come and watch, that’s fine too. They can even join in on the continental breakfast for only $5/person.

So sign up today and run to your heart’s content!

Great news for chocolate lovers! Tomorrow, November 5th, there will be a chocolate making workshop and seminar at the Garden Island Chocolate Factory. Yum! This seminar/workshop will run from 9am-3pm and will feature two main parts: lecture and lab.

During the seminar, you can learn all about the different aspects of making and growing chocolate, from the tree to the candy aisle. Topics include growing, roasting, tempering, panning, and gourmet food pairings. This will be a great lecture for those who are interested in the entire process involved in chocolate making and not just the flavor of our favorite food.

And, for those who want to try their hand at this culinary creation, there will be an intensive workshop where all participants will make their own chocolate. Kauai has its own source of cacao beans, which are perfect for chocolate creations, and if you attend you will be learning to make three major types of Theobroma Cacao. Each attendee will take home a half-pound of chocolate as well as tasting the chocolate throughout the day.

Of course, for this much chocolaty goodness, there is some cost involved. For the day, attending this event will run you $169/person. Of course, if you bring a friend, the cost goes down to $149/person. So come and enjoy a day of bliss, creating the most wonderful substance on earth… well, next to coffee of course! ☺

Have you ever eaten a fresh coconut? The outer shell might be hard and fuzzy, but the interior is a fibrous meaty fruit that tastes wonderful and is good for you. Of course, not everything made with coconut needs to be good for you. For instance, coconut cream pies, macaroons, pina coladas, and many more yummy treats are made with coconut.

Do I love coconut? Yes I do. Do you love coconut? Well, if you do, then I have the festival for you!

On Kauai, one of my favorite festivals is the Coconut Festival, mostly because it gives me the opportunity to eat as much coconut as I want. Plus, there are fun activities and events for the whole family.

According to the website, this year there will be cooking demonstrations, games, painting, vendor tents, crafts, pie eating contests, a cooking contest, a petting zoo and inflatables. In other words, there will be several things to do for the whole family and a ton of coconut concoctions to try in the process.

The festival will take place today and tomorrow at Kapaa Beach Park, which is right off HWY 56 on the East side of the island (in Kapaa). Even for new visitors to the island, it should be easy to find. So if you like coconut and you are planning to visit the island today or tomorrow, please come and join us. I’ll be there most of the day tomorrow and would love to see some new and friendly faces.

Time to make your vacation plans if you want to be here for the 27th annual Kauai Mokihana Festival this year. From September 18-24th, we will be celebrating Hawaiian culture and arts all across the island, and you could join us! Let me tell you more.

Back in the day, this festival started as a hula competition for men. But in the 1990’s the festival added hula groups, women hula dancers, and hula schools to its excitement. What it created was a seven-day festival filled with culture, hula, live music, and fun.

This festival is has lots to offer for your entire family, including hula competitions, stringed instrument competitions, and a large party for the whole island. There will be music, food, crafts stations, hula lessons, history talks, performances, and much more. And all of the proceeds go toward the Malie Foundation.

So, if you want something fun and exciting to do for your vacation this year, come to Kauai and experience the art of hula.

Every town usually has one, a fair with Ferris wheels, rides, food, 4-H displays, circus acts and more. And here on Kauai, ours is fast approaching!

On Thursday (the 25th) and Friday (the 26th), the Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair will be in town. Admission is free, though rides and things like that will cost tickets and games often cost money to play. The fair will be at Vidinha Stadium in Lihue, and I can’t wait to see if my boyfriend can win me a cute little stuffed animal or two.

Every year, I go with a group of my friends to at least one night of the fair. There is always something to see and to do, so we never get bored. Last year, there were the typical craft stalls, games, rides, food booths, and cultural displays, along with 4-H animals and a petting zoo. This year appears to be no different, with auctions, shopping, workshops and classes to attend, hulas, circus acts, live music, and entertaining shows. It will be a day of fun and family-friendly excitement.

Of course, I need to be careful this year. Last year I went into a full-fledged food coma after consuming popcorn, slushies, cotton candy, hot dogs, and anything that appeared to be “on a stick.” My friends practically had to carry my bloated self to the car that evening… but boy was it fun!

If you are going to be in Lihue or anywhere on the island on the 25th or 26th, you simply have to come and enjoy the fair. Visitors and tourists are welcome, and just about every resident of the island will be there. So don’t miss out! It’s going to be a blast.

Are you a fan of Kalua pig, teriyaki beef, sweet and sour mahimahi, chicken adobo, and other luau foods? Don’t you wish you could visit a place that had an all-you-can-eat buffet, serving hot, sizzling plates of traditional island favorites? And wouldn’t it be great if all of that wonderful food came with a show?

Here on Kauai, we have just the thing for those who want to enjoy live music, free drinks, great food, and a Polynesian performance. The Smith Family Garden Luau is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5-9pm and it is a popular place for tourists. While there, you can receive a tour of the botanical gardens, enjoy the unearthing of the roasted pig at an Imu Ceremony, listen to the stimulating sounds of live musicians playing Hawaiian and contemporary tunes, and eat and drink to your heart’s content. Then the evening truly begins.

The Smith family luau is a unique luau, pulling in influences from both Hawaii and some Asian cultures. The dances are spectacular and the performers are the best. And while the Smith family hasn’t always lived on the island, four generations of Smiths have run the family business here and have made it their own.

Now, if you want to visit the luau, it will cost you. With an open bar and food buffet, the cost is higher than a typical luau. But the extra expense is well worth it. You can make reservations for a performance on their website and enjoy night life of Kauai in style at the garden.

For a true Taste of Hawaii, you should attend the Ultimate Sunday Brunch. Held on the first Sunday of June, visitors and natives alike can enjoy the best food on the island prepared by over 50 of the best chefs from all over the Hawaiian Island chain.

For just the price of one small ticket, you too could be here to devour the delicious treats that will be created. And if you love food as much as I do, then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this tasty event. But wait – there’s more!

There will be over 15 beverage stations serving everything from beer and wine to soft drinks and specialty coffees. So if you are in the mood for a pineapple smoothie, then this is a good stop for you. Also, there will be live music performed throughout the event, with over 14 musical groups scheduled to perform.

For those who like to eat AND shop, a large silent auction will be a part of the proceedings. And what better place to eat great food, drink whatever you want, listen to music and enjoy some shopping than in a park?! The brunch will be held at Smith’s Tropical Paradise, a beautiful location with sprawling grounds and lush plant life.

So have I talked you into it yet? Because I’ll be honest – I’m already salivating. This is one of my favorite events on Kauai and will hopefully be one of yours. So come and join us this year and eat your hearts out!