PHOTOS: Lana’i Pineapple Festival 2012

By Madeline Ziecker

View of Dole Park at the 2010 Lana’i Pineapple Festival. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.

A large crowd of Lana’i’s visitors and residents came to Lana’i City’s Dole Park on Saturday, June 30 for an afternoon/evening of food and fun in spirit of the island’s historic pineapple plantation era.

The traditional Lana’i Pineapple Festival began at 3 p.m. with live island music on a stage surrounded by food, information, and merchant booths.

Local musicians played favorites like “Can You See Me Now”  by popular Big Island band Sudden Rush. The festival’s featured performer was Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winner Pomai.

Four Seasons Lana’i Chef Jeremy Choo and crew. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.

A brisk breeze swept through the park, carrying the waft of delicious homemade pineapple-inspired grinds that delighted crowds all afternoon and night.

Some of the tastiest treats at this year’s festival included pineapple ice cream and upside down cakes that were prepared by The Four Seasons Lana’i’s Chef Jeremy Choo. Other tasty bites were sweet and sour pineapple pieces sprinkled with chili pepper  that were passed around throughout the festival, and of course the classic local-style plate lunch with shoyu-pineapple glazed chicken.

Pineapple upside down cake. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.

Two new booths appeared at this year’s festival – one supporting the proposed Lana’i wind farm project, and one against it. It’s a hot issue on the island at the moment. Both boths were appropriately positioned next to the 2012 Election Candidates booth, and all three had plenty of curious visitors who came shopping for an opinion.

Attendance dwindled as night fell over Dole Park and the weather cooled, but many stayed to enjoy festivities and music until after 9 p.m.; after all – there’s only one Lana’i Pineapple Festival each year.

A model of Lana’i island, marked at the proposed areas for the wind farm. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.	Election 2012 Candidates booth. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD Refreshing and sweet pineapple ice cream. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.	Few could pass up the opportunity to sink their teeth into this tender shoyu chicken. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.