Island fun in L.A.: ‘Day of Hawaii Smiles’ hits the Grove, Sept. 12 and 19

If an island getaway is more fantasy than reality right now, you’re in luck this weekend and the next. Among the goings-on related to a current Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau campaign is “A Day of Hawaii Smiles,” here in Los Angeles.

Taking place on two different Saturdays, this festival will give Hawaii-philes and the simply curious a taste — literally and figuratively — of the aloha spirit.

Happening at the Grove, the free festival will offer fun for the family with arts and crafts, food demonstrations and tastings, and Hawaiian music and hula lessons by the Polynesian Cultural Center. Get your photo taken at the “Big Wave” photo station. And shop for Hawaii-made goods or even a vacation.

Each festival day will include a free outdoor film screening in the Park area of the Grove. The scheduled time is 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., though the film won’t start until after sunset. On Saturday, Sept. 12, it’ll be “South Pacific,” the 1958 film adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name. Up on Sept. 19 is “Lilo & Stitch,” the popular 2002 Disney animation set in Kauai.

“To tie in with the Hawaii theme, limited amounts of beach mats will be provided for families to sit on in the grassy area. Everyone is more than welcome to grab some dinner, bring their own mats/blankets to sit on and enjoy the movie,” Michael Ni, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, said in an e-mail.

Before the films, special performances are scheduled, including a one-hour show by slack-key guitarist Jim “Kimo” West and a special evening hula performance from the Polynesian Cultural Center, according to Ni.

When: The festival is on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Cost: The festival is free. Parking at the Grove varies in cost, from free to $24, depending on duration.

Those two evenings, as well as every remaining day this month, you can see the nightly Hawaii-themed fountain show at the Grove. It’s on every half-hour throughout the night starting at 8 p.m., according to the Grove’s concierge desk.

For further details on these and other events this month, see the visitors bureau website.

– Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo: Polynesian Cultural Center dancers at a past performance. Credit: Polynesian Cultural Center

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 11, 2009 at 11:44 am by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Family & Kids, Festival, Gourmet, Hawaii, Los Angeles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.