Whales, Whales, Whales and Other Weekend Fun

Vanessa Wolf just learned that if you do a Google image search on “Babe” you see a lot of interesting stuff, none of which involves smiling pigs.

By Vanessa Wolf

It’s the year of the snake!

And World Whale Day!

And you have a whole 364 days until you have to worry about Valentine’s Day again!

Trifecta of yay!

Here are some ways you can celebrate the wonder of it all.

Best Reason to Sit on a Blanket and Watch a Movie Starring a Pig

I can’t stop staring at his feet.

Starry Night Cinema returns, playing Babe tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Pavilion/Amphitheater at the MACC.

If you haven’t heard, it’s a 1995 Australian family film that tells the story of Babe, a pig separated from his family and raised by sheep dogs. Babe wants to become a useful member of the farm by learning to herd sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett. Babe garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, but alas, it was nudged out by Braveheart.

You can see it for free and decide whether or not that was a fair call tonight. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Best Reason for a Parade

Oh, who are we kidding? Like you need a reason.

Regardless, Maui’s Parade of Whales starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the corner of South Kihei Road and Alanui Keali’i Drive and moves northward, past Kalama Park to Waimaihaihai Street and the Kihei Public Library.

It marks the official launch of “World Whale Day.” The parade runs from 9 to 10 a.m. and highlights the theme, “Save our Seas.”

Speaking of World Whale Day, the schedule itself is as follows:

10:30 – 10:50 a.m.      Evakali Ribbon Dancing
11:00 – 11:40 a.m.      Uncle Wayne and the Howling Dog Band
11:45 –  12:15 p.m.     Peter and Melinda Wing (drama for youth)
12:20 – 12:45 p.m.      Lily Meola (youth vocalist)
12:45 – 1:00 p.m.        Keisha the Hoopnatizer (home-made hula hoops. Really.)
1:00 – 1:40 p.m.          Chestemere High School Jazz Band (from Canada)
1:45 –  2:10 p.m.         Zumba with Roya
2:20 –  2:50 p.m.         Marty Dread and Friends
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.          Peter and Melinda Wing (drama for youth)
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.          Knot So Fast!  Learn to tie nautical knots with PWF Naturalists

The event is free and open to the public.

Best Reason to Dress Up Like It’s the Renaissance

A Renaissance song. Try singing this.

ROOTS School – a 501c3 not-for-profit private school for grades K-8 ­– is holding “Midwinter Night’s Dream” on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.

It is a festival for the whole family, inspired by the Renaissance Faire. The event is a fundraiser for the North Shore school featuring games, food, activities, performances by students and various wandering minstrels and a silent auction.

Alas, there will be no gigantic turkey legs, but they will be offering “meat on a stick” and “fruit on a stick” booths because the Middle Ages were all about stuff on sticks.

The event runs starts at 6 p.m. at the Makawao Union Church Community Hall located at 1445 Baldwin Avenue. Admission is $5 at the door.

Best Continuation of All the Whale Hoopla

Day two of the three-day “Whale Tales” event at the Ulalena Theater in Lahaina is on Sunday.

Photo courtesy Whale Trust.

Internationally-renowned marine researchers, photographers and conservationists will be sharing the latest discoveries on whales and the ocean environment.

Get ready for another super fun, crazy detailed lineup.

This one starts nice and early.
7:30 – 9:30 a.m. Benefit Whale Watch with Presenters Eva Saulitis and Craig Matkin, North Gulf Oceanic Society

10 – 10:15 a.m.  Welcome
10:15 – 11 a.m.   Ed Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
“Large whale entanglement response: Cutting to the chase by pursuing prevention”
11:15 – 12 p.m. Greg Stone, Chief Scientist for Oceans, Conservation International
“We Need the Oceans for Our Survival – How Do We Conserve Them Now and for Future Generations?”

12 – 1:30 p.m. LUNCH BREAK
1:30 – 2 p.m.    Marty Wolff, Photographer, “The Wild & Wondrous World of Whale Art”
2:15 – 3 p.m.    Mark Ferrari, Center for Whale Studies, 2012 – “The Big BANG Theory”
3:15 – 4 p.m.    Tom Fitz, Schoolyard Films, “Successes and Failures in Wildlife Filmmaking”

Photo courtesy Whale Trust.

The event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $20 per person.

Whether you attend Whale Tales or not, if you dine at Mala, Honu, Pacific’o, I’o, Kimo’s or Fleetwood’s on Front Street this weekend, mention Whale Tales and a percentage of bill will be allocated to beneficiaries.

Aware of something cool or amazing or incredible that’s going to be happening on Maui? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET US KNOW ABOUT IT @ events@mauinow.com