THE GARDEN ISLAND, JULY 2013 — 3
Koloa Plantation Days 2013 Stories of Our Heritage July 19 to July 28, 2013
Celebrating Kauai’s plantation roots through the stories of our heritage
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auai’s largest summer festival, Koloa Plantation Days, celebrates its 28th year from July 19 to July 28 on Kauai’s sunny South Shore. During 10 days of varied activities, you can experience Koloa’s area history and magnificent scenery, discover Koloa’s heritage as Hawaii’s first commercial sugar plantation, explore Hawaii’s diverse cultures and enjoy the vitality and variety of entertainment, foods, crafts and sports activities throughout Koloa and Poipu. Held in the heart of Koloa where Hawaii’s first commercial sugar plantation was founded in 1835, Koloa Plantation Days offers more than 25 lively, family-oriented events at the gracious resorts and community gathering spots in Koloa and Poipu. This unique and vibrant festival celebrates not only Koloa’s area history and host culture, but also plantation “camp life,” which brought together immigrants from Europe, the Azores, Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere to work together on the sugar plantations. Plantations have nearly disappeared, but the people who came to Hawaii to work helped to create today’s diverse, dynamic lifestyle and local culture. Events at Koloa Plantation Days have grown to encompass a wide range of activities: island culture and
BESTY TOULON
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plantation history, ono local foods and shopping, outdoor activities and recreation in Koloa and Poipu, keiki and family activities and celebration events featuring great live entertainment. Most events are outdoors and free of charge and are appropriate for the whole family. Hawaiian traditions, crafts and music are the foundation of island life, and some events teach us
about this culture and history while others share talk stories, films and tours commemorating life on the plantation. Guided nature walks reveal the unique flora, fauna, geology and archaeology of the South Shore and a pastel painting workshop highlights a pristine part of the coastline. Koloa Plantation Days also celebrates the present-
Poipu sites. This is the chance to savor some of Kauai’s diverse flavors — take in an ethnic cooking demonstrations, sample plantation sweet treats or enjoy a typical “plate lunch.” And of course celebration events such as the Parade and Park event offer great music, food and fun for the whole family. The culmination of the festival is a colorful parade through Old Koloa Town on the last Saturday in July. Drawing from their memories of Spanish Camp, Korea Camp and other camps around the plantations, paday vitality of Koloa and rade participants will highPoipu and local resorts and light the music, food, dance, businesses welcome people sports and traditions that to explore the area and enwere a part of camp life. joy the hospitality with speThe parade is followed cial performances, contests by an all-day celebration in and cultural demonstrations. the Koloa Ball Park featurYou can watch a bullriding ono local foods, handing showdown, cheer on the made crafts, keiki rides and top male and female rodeo activities and a full line up competitors, take your kids of entertainment including to enjoy traditional Hawaiselections as diverse as tradiian games or participate in a tional hula and the popular fun run highlighting historic Hawaiian music, to Taiko
drumming, rock and roll, all American standards, local comedy and the rhythms of kachi kachi music. Throughout the week the key connector is the community — this is truly an event where local residents and visitors come together. It is this larger ohana that makes Koloa Plantation Days celebration possible through the dedication of community groups, foundations and volunteers, which attracts and welcomes many return visitors every year to join in the festivities. For event details, directions, video snapshots, photos, live streaming and more visit www.koloaplantationdays.com and stay tuned for our daily coverage of the festival. For auxiliary aid, please contact info@ koloaplantationdays. com or call 652-3217.
his year’s Koloa Plantation Days Parade Grand Marshal is Betsy Toulon. Each year, the Koloa Plantation Days Board selects someone to honor at the parade. Past honorees have included the 65th Anniversary of the Sakadas immigration from the Philippines, the Tanaka Family store, Gov. George Ariyoshi and his wife and last year’s honoree Koloa School Principal Debbie Lindsey. Inspired by the theme “Stories of our Heritage,” Betsy is known for her sharp memory and colorful stories of growing up in Koloa and on Kauai’s Westside. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sinclair Knudsen Toulon was born on July 24, 1918, on her family home in Waiawa, near Kekaha, Kauai. Betsy attended grammar school on Kauai, and graduated from Punahou High School. Betsy’s first husband was Jack Johnson, who was killed in Europe during World War II. She married her second husband, Alfred Toulon, who eventually retired from the U.S. Navy and they settled in Poipu with their four children. Betsy’s father was Eric A. Knudsen, who was also born on the island of Kauai in 1872. The Anne Knudsen Park was named after Betsy’s grandmother, Annie Sinclair, who married Valdemar Knudsen. Betsy lived in Kekaha, then up at the Tree Tunnel where her father grew sugar cane for a while, and then eventually they settled at their family home in Poipu, where the current Marriott Waiohai timeshares are located. Betsy has been a lifelong horse woman, and remembers and previously rode in the Koloa Plantation Days parade alongside her family. She was present at the 1935 parade through Koloa celebrating 100 years of sugar as a girl.