Volunteer for the 2023 Banana Fest at Waimea Valley

Dear Friends and fellow Banana Lovers,

First, I would like to thank you so much for your support of last year’s inaugural Hoolaulea Maia/Banana Festival in Waimea Valley. It was a great success, in no small part due to the efforts of dozens of volunteers. Well over 1,000 people attended, more than 280 banana plants were purchased and lots of happy folks went home with banana patterned shirts and totes. More importantly, people had the opportunity to explore banana biodiversity in a big way—tasting different varieties, seeing unusual and beautiful banana flowers, taking new varieties home to plant in their backyards.

As we gear up again for the next Fest—scheduled for Saturday, October 21st— I am reaching out to ask you for your kokua in making the event another grand success by volunteering. We will need help in setting up, checking people in, fixing fresh banana samples, setting up booth holders, aiding the banana fiber stampers, trash collection, and the final cleanup.

This year, things will be a little different, in that we don’t have a grant to cover Festival expenses. We will be charging a $10 fee (which, thanks to the generosity of Waimea Valley will cover admission to the park as well) for adults, free entry to children 12 and under. This will include the raw banana tastings at the big monkeypod table, as well as chef created samples. So far, Leeanne Wong of Koko Head Cafe and Jason Peel of Nami Kaze are on board. Folks are welcome to bring their own t-shirts or bags for banana fiber dyeing, also included in the admission fee.

If you have a specific area you’d like to help with, please let us know. This year, we are looking for “team leaders” for each task/area which includes: setting up, manning admissions, fresh banana tasting preparation, final clean-up.

With gratitude and aloha,

Laurie Carlson