The Portuguese Naval ship N.R.P.  Sagres is currently docked at Aloha Tower as it continues its 11 month sail around the world.  The public is invited throughout the Fourth of July weekend to board and tour the ship and talk with the crew.  Visitors are allowed aboard from 10:00am - Noon, 2:00pm - 6:00pm and 8:00pm - 11:00pm.  This is a wonderful free opportunity to check out the ship.  I toured the ship and in the coming days will talk more about the ship of course mixed in with some 4th of July pictures over the next week.   I rushed this picture up to give you a chance to tour the ship before it leaves.  Parking is available at Aloha Tower Marketplace though there may be a charge if your ticket is not validated by a merchant.

Former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi passed away on February 3, 2010 at the age of 89.  He was mayor of Honolulu from 1968 to 1980 and than again from 1984-1996 a run of 22 years.  When including most of the years of my childhood.  Supporters and detractors respected him and his image of standing up for the little guy and getting things done.  Among them satellite city halls, neighborhood boards, farmer’s markets, summer fun, Honolulu City Lights, skate parks, senior program, community gardens and even the Blaisdell Center.  One of his most famous moves was in 1970 during the Honolulu Rapid Transit strike he got federal funds and flew off to Dallas purchasing 60 buses and starting TheBus.  Our condolences go to the Fasi family.  For more information see the Honolulu Advertiser special report on Frank Fasi.  Thanks for all you did Mayor.

On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day we remember and honor those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  More than 2,400  American’s were killed and 1,100 wounded in an attack that sunk four battleships and heavily damaged four others.  Among them the USS Arizona who’s monument pictured above lives on to this day in tribute to those who lost their lives defending our country.    The Arizona Memorial visitor is undergoing a $58 million renovation that will more than double exhibit space.  The memorial remains open and is the number one tourist attraction in Hawaii with over 1.3 million people paying their respects annually.

Hawaii has been abuzz this week with sightings of Guy Fieri of the popular Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” who is currently filming at unannounced locations in Hawaii.   Various sightings of him cruising down the highway in a convertible with his wife and two kids are coming from all over the island.

 From what we gathered he has made stops at the following places that may or may not appear on a future episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

• The Poke Stop
• Murphy’s Bar & Grill
• Hanks Haute Dogs
• Rainbow Drive Inn
• Highway Inn
• Germaine’s Luau
• Nico’s at Pier 38

Patrons will greeted with a sign saying Food Network and Page Productions are taping for a television series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and letting people know that by entering they are consenting to appear on TV.  See sign here.  Stay tuned to find out when the Hawaii episodes will air.

Guy Fieri quickly came onto the Food Network scene by winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star.  he co-owns Johnny Garlic’s California Pasta Grill and Tex Wasabi’s and also has Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives as well as Guy’s big Bite and Ultimate recipe Showdown on Food Network.

Books by Guy Fieri

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! (Food Network)

More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: A Drop-Top Culinary Cruise Through America’s Finest and Funkiest Joints

A number of Hawaii museums and galleries have announced they will participate in Smithsonian Magazine’s nationwide Museum Day promotion on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Free admission cards admitting the bearer and one guest free of charge will be available in the September 2009 issue of Smithsonian Magazine or downloaded easily at Smithsonian Magazine.

Particpating Hawaii Museums
Bailey House Museum (Wailuku)
Baldwin Home Museum (Lahaina)
Hawai’i State Art Museum (Honolulu)
Hawaii Theatre Center (Honolulu)
Honolulu Academy of Arts (Honolulu)
Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii (Hilo)
Mission Houses Museum (Honolulu)
Pacific Aviation Museum (Honolulu)
Queen Emma Summer Palace (Honolulu)
The Contemporary Museum (Honolulu)
Tropic Lightning Museum (Scofield Barracks)
University of Hawaii Art Gallery (Honolulu)
Wo Hing Museum (Lahaina)

Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day celebrates the country’s cultural offerings, allows the dissemination of knowledge, and brings Americans together. Last year nearly 450 museums and cultural institutions nationwide participated in the effort, which emulates the Smithsonian’s Washington, D.C. year-round free admission policy.

It will be a great day to check out one of our museums here in Hawaii.

The 2009 Hickam Air Force Base Open House, “Wings Over The Pacific,” scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20 on Hickam’s flightline, will have a host of static displays and feature guest appearances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Ultimate Fighting Champion B.J. Penn.

The Thunderbirds will perform each day from 2:30pm - 3:300pm.  Please be sure to arrive early as 120,000 people are expected and there may be significant traffic delays.   Gates open at 10am FREE admission.  For more info click here.

Wings Over The Pacific will include aircraft static displays from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps, as well as food and drink vendors, and numerous other family activities. The Thunderbirds have been performing from commercial airports and military bases all over the world for many years.  More information about their demonstration can be found here.

The static displays are scheduled to be:

C-5          Kelly AFB
C-17        Hickam AFB
F-15        Hickam AFB
KC-135   Hickam AFB
C-40B     Hickam AFB
C-37A      Hickam AFB
C-37A     (Navy)    Hickam AFB
KC-10      Travis AFB
P-3           Kbay
CH-53D   (Helo)    Kbay
MK-58     (Jet)    Kbay
HS-60B    Seahawk (Helo)    Kbay
C-130       USCG (14th District)
H-67C      (Helo)    USCG (14th District)
CH-47      (Helo)    Wheeler AAF
UH-60     (Helo)    Big Island
B-52         Barksdale AFB
B-1            Ellsworth AFB
F-22         Guam AFB
E-3           Elmendorf AFB

Boeing 737-200 Cargo              Aloha Airlines
Boeing 717                                  Hawaiian Airlines
C-172,182, & Beech Trvl Air   Moore Air
C-172, C-182 G1000                CAP
T-6D (USN SNJ-5B)                Vintage Aviation
Extra 300                                  Acroflight, Inc
CAP-10
DC-3 Cargo                                Kamaka Air Inc
USN N2S Stearman                  Private, HNL side
Liberty XL2 & King Air C-90  Anderson/Safari Aviation

This is Hickam AFB’s first open house since 2003, and a crowd of more than 120,000 people is expected from the Hawaiian Islands and other places throughout the Pacific and world.  Everyone is welcome to attend the open house, and it is a free event. Local stage entertainment is also scheduled before and after the Thunderbirds demonstration.  There will be a children’s play and ride area.

27th Annual Okinawan Festival

Kapiolani Park

September 5 9am- 5pm (Bon Dance till 9:30pm)

September 6 9am -  5pm

It’s hard to imagine that over two decades have passed since on of Hawaii’s most successful ethnic celebrations - the Okinawan Festival - made its debut at Ala Moana Park’s McCoy Pavilion.  Who could have imagined back then that the event would grow to attract over 50,000 people from all over the world, involve more than two thousand volunteers, and be staged at Waikiki’s biggest park?

A weekend full of continuous live performances by entertainment groups from Okinawa and local Okinawan groups at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand. You’ll be treated to Hawaii’s best Okinawan music, dance and cultural groups, as well as special guest performers from Okinawa.  Plan you day with this schedule of events.

Don’t forget to check out the cultural tents, Machiya-Gwa country store, Hanagi Machiya Plant fair,  children’s games and much more.  You can even enter their Okinawan Festival 2009 Photo Contest and you may win $100.

Eat your way into history as the first winner of the Andagi Eating Contest! Contests will be held at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand on stage between performances. You’ll have to chomp down three andagi as quickly as possible!  Cheer on your favorite andagi lover as they eat their way to win! Saturday at 2:30 pm and Sunday at 10:05 am at Kapiolani Park Bandstand.

While you’re here, get a taste of Uchinanchu (Okinawan) cuisine and try some onolicous grinds:

• Pig Feet Soup ‐ pig’s feet cooked in soup stock and garnished with seaweed, turnip, squash and mustard cabbage
• Yakisoba ‐ stir‐fried Okinawan style soba noodles with vegetable and luncheon meat
• Okinawa Soba – Okinawan style soba noodles served in hot soup and garnished with fishcake, shoyu pork, green onions and red ginger
• Champuru Plate‐ shoyu pork, stir‐fried vegetables, luncheon meat and deep‐fried tofu
• Okidog ‐ a hot dog and chili are wrapped in a soft tortilla with shredded shoyu pork and lettuce
• Andagi – Okinawan deep fried donut
• Andadog – Okinawan version of the corndog. A hot dog on a stick that is dipped into Andagi batter and deep fried and more!

PARK FOR FREE & RIDE HUOA’S OKINAWAN FESTIVAL SHUTTLE BUS FOR $1

The HUOA’s Okinawan Festival Shuttle Bus will run continuously during the Festival. Park free at Kapiolani Community College and ride roundtrip in a cool air conditioned bus to Kapiolani Park. There is a storage compartment on the side of the bus for baby strollers and large bags. In addition, the bus drivers will happily assist passengers in getting on and off the bus. $1 return tickets can be purchased at the Information Booth.

Shuttle Drop Off & Pick Up Locations

Saturday, September 5: 7:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kapiolani Community College: near Kilauea Ave & Makapuu Ave in Lot A
Kapiolani Park: Monsarrat Avenue

Saturday, September 5: 12:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Kapiolani Community College: Waikiki end, near Diamond Head Road in Lot B
Kapiolani Park: Monsarrat Avenue
Last departure from Kapiolani Park at 10:30pm

Sunday, September 6: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Kapiolani Community College: Waikiki end, near Diamond Head Road in Lot B
Kapiolani Park: Monsarrat Avenue
Last departure from Kapiolani Park at 6:00 pm

Travel Channel’s Adam Richman was recently on Oahu to drop by some local restaurants for his “Man vs Food” show which airs Oceanic channel 325.

His first stop was at MAC-24-7 where he took the challenge of trying to finish a three-tier stack of 14-inch pancakes within an hour and a half.  Did he do it?  Well you will just have to tune in on September 9 to find out.

He also dropped by Helena’s Hawaiian Food located in Kalihi and famous for their chef Helen Chock who won the James Beard Foundation’s Regional Classics Restaurant Award in 2000.  Finally he visited Hukilau Cafe way out in Laie which is often mistaken for the fictional cafe of the same name in the move “50 First Dates”  People in Laie swear by its Hungry-Hawaiian breakfast and local style plate lunches.

In celebration MAC 24-7 will be hosting a “MAC-Daddy” event on Sept 9 starting at 5pm and featuring six large screen TV to watch the episode as it airs at 6pm.   They will also give the same challenge to diners and you can win complimentary pancakes or even a one night stay at the Waikiki Price Kuhio.

ARTafterDARK is the Honolulu Academy of Art’s monthly art party.

WHEN: August 28, 6-9pm
WHERE: Honolulu Academy of Arts
PRICE: $10 (free for Academy members

This months theme is “Face to Face: The art of the portrait to an 80s soundtrack”

ENTERTAINMENT
Get ready for the largest dance party ARTafterDARK has ever seen! 
• Vegas Mike spins 80s dance favorites in Central Courtyard.
• DJ Nocturna spins the best of 80s rock in Banyan Courtyard. 
• See a morphing portraits slideshow of 80s icons in Kinau Courtyard. 

Free photos: 
With a theme like About Face, we had to have a photobooth! Grab your friends and head on over to the Banyan Courtyard for a free evening momento with help from our friends at Hawaii Digital Photobooth.

We will have props to dress up your photo. Momentos will print immediately so don’t worry about waiting!

Morphing Faces Show:
MJ is never forgotten! Think back to the “Black & White” video of the early 90s, now plug in the faces of your favorite 80s icons and voila! Special thanks to Jim Abrams for making this possible.

ART
• About-Their-Faces Scavenger Hunt: Test your portraits knowledge! Pick up the scavenger hunt form in Central Courtyard then look for portraits in the museum. Docents will be in all the galleries to help you. Submit your completed scavenger hunt form in Kinau Court and enter to win ARTafterDARK prizes.

Three winners will be randomly selected from the submitted entries after the event. Only forms with correct answers are eligible to win. Please be sure your contact info on the form is correct.

• Browse—most of the galleries will be open for your enjoyment. 

On rotation:
The Academy’s curatorial staff has been hard at work mining the permanent collection to bring new art to you on a regular basis. See these new rotations:

Gallery 28 - Art To Go: An exhibition of children’s artwork
Gallery 23 - NEW Charles Bartlett: The Golden Temple in Amritsar
Gallery 21 - Charles Bartlett: Watercolors and Prints of Japan
Gallery 20 - Yanagi Soetsu and the Mingei Movement
Gallery 16 - Charles Bartlett in China and Elizabeth Keith
Gallery 15 - Elizabeth Keith
Gallery 14 - Early Korean Ceramics: The Gaya Confederacy
Gallery 9 - NEW Francisco Goya prints

LIVE ART - Portrait Artist Wayne Takazono will be onsite sketching portraits of ARTafterDARKers
•Option 1: Pen sketch of side profile - $9 - takes 5 to 10 minutes
•Option 2: Charcoal sketch of side profile - $19 - takes 10 to 15 minutes
Group sketches are also available! Stop by and see for yourself in Luce Pavilion! 

FOOD:
Says Town chef Ed Kenney: “I remember sitting down at Roy’s for the first time in 1988 and being blown away by his fusion food. At this ARTafterDARK we are serving pre-’88 food, TOWN style.”

In Kinau Courtyard: Baked Potato Bar
Load your hot spud with a galaxy of condiments: blackened green beans, Vermont cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, crème fraîche, garlic chives, roasted Ho’s Farm tomatoes, chili con carne, charred jalapeños, feta, coarse mustard, whipped butter, fried capers, olive tapenade, smoked salmon relish, portuguese sausage, caramelized onions, roasted Hamakua mushrooms, and more.
$6, self serve

In Luce Pavilion: Ethnic American Classics
In the Luce Pavilion we will serving mini-size dishes of cuisines that were once “immigrant” and have been doctored and become part of the all-American menu—with a TOWN twist and local ingredients, of course. 
$3-$6

Baked ziti 
Chowder in a Roll Bowl 
Green Goddess onion rings
Chinese chicken salad
Nachos
Chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwichettes

THE COCKTAIL
Downtown secured a generous sponsorship from Kai Lychee Vodka. So there was only one way to go—with HNL ’80s diva Carole Kai!
Sip the ever refreshing Karole Kai, with ginger and chile for that sassy kick.

Parking:
Just a reminder—ARTafterDARKers can park in the following locations:

1) FREE: The Diamond Head Parking Lot behind the Art Center at Linekona (free)
2) FREE: Street parking on Beretania Street from 6PM (free)
3) FREE: First United Methodist Church Parking Lot on the corner of Beretania and Victoria Street (free) - NOTE: lot closes promptly at 10PM
4) FREE: Academy Staff Parking Lot after the Admiral Thomas Complex on Kinau Street (free)
5) $5 per car: Kim Chee III Parking Lot off Young Street

Happy Birthday Hawaii.  Today Hawaii celebrates its 50th anniversary of statehood.  On August 21, 1959 President Eisenhower signed a proclamation making Hawaii the 50th state and unveiling the new fifty star flag. We will celebrate by this “50 years of Aloha” shirt by WATG made out of cans for the foodbank.  Since statehood, Hawaii has become identified by cultural exports like hula, surfing and Hawaiian music, but none are as iconic as the Aloha Shirt.  Virtually unchanged since the 1930’s the Aloha Shirt has been worn by presidents and celebrities world wide.  So on this 50th year celebration we present you with the Aloha Shirt.  You can vote for these or other CanStruction displays at Pearlridge uptown with a can of food through August 29.   Tomorrow its time to cool down with shave ice.