26th ANNUAL EAST MAUI TARO FESTIVAL
The 26th Annual East Maui Taro Festival will take place on Saturday, April 21st, 2018 at the Hana Ballpark from 9 am – 5 pm. Admission is free. Taro Pancake Breakfast and Field Trips on Sunday, April 22.
Just in time for Molokai Taro Field Day tomorrow – Saturday, Sept 16 at MCC Farm, 8:30am-2pm. Come join us and learn how to Eat More Kalo!!! Mahalo again to Quazifilms Hawaii, Joshyboy Pastrana, Kanoelani Davis, Hawaii Dept of Agriculture (for funding), Michael Anthony Aliiloa Helm, Lauren Kikukawa, and all those who made this possible! #eatlocalmolokai, #kaloconnection
Posted by Sustainable Molokai – Sust āina ble Molokai on Friday, September 15, 2017
The event focuses on Kalo/Taro as a staple food of the Hawaiian diet, as well as being the symbolic “Elder Brother” of Native Hawaiians.
Taro, or kalo in Hawaiian, is a staple food crop. Every part of the plant is edible: the enlarged corm which looks like a large root or tuber, the stems, the leaves, and even the flower. It must be cooked to remove the oxalic acid, which if eaten raw, makes one’s tongue and throat feel “scratchy.” via our friends at ROADtoHANA.com
The Festival features all day Hula and Music, local Arts & Crafts, a Farmers Market with all types of Taro for sale- from huli (shoots) to potted plants to Kulolo (dessert) and fresh poi; a Nonprofits Info Tent, hands-on Cultural Activities such as poi pounding, lauhala weaving, kapa/tapa cloth making, 20 Food Booths, each with a main taro dish or side.
The goal of the Festival is to educate people about the value and significance of Kalo/Taro. The “Tarofest” has become known as a “Signature Event” for Maui, attracting residents as well as visitors.
Taro is a sacred plant in Hawaiian culture.
• Farmers Market
• Poi Pounding
• Food Booths
• Arts & Crafts
• Music & Hula
• Info Booth
• The Queen’s Challenge Taro Competition (PDF file)
What the heck is Kulolo? Check out our blog post on Local Hawai’ian style foods!
The East Maui Taro Festival, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501c3 organization, supported in part by a grant from the County of Maui Office of Economic Development.
For more information please visit http://www.tarofestival.org or https://www.facebook.com/groups/tarofestival/
Contact: Judy Kinser, Event Coordinator 808.264.1553 info@tarofestival.org
Treats available at last year’s East Maui Taro Festival!
Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,
come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide!
