“Food booths offering a variety of mouth-watering delights will be plentiful at the fourth annual Waimea Fall Festival, including drink sales that directly support DNA Basketball Academy.” (courtesy Waimea Fall Festival)

(BIVN) – The fourth annual Waimea Fall Festival will return to the Spencer K. Schutte Waimea District Park on Saturday, October 14, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. HST. Admission is free and general parking will open at 9 a.m. All-day wristbands for the outdoor inflatables can be purchased online beginning October 4th, organizers say.

From a news release:

The fun-filled family festival, hosted by Waimea Athletics and sponsored by Manuela Malasadas, will feature a pumpkin patch, keiki games and activities, entertainment, a craft sale, community information booths and exhibits, and lots of great food.

Keiki will enjoy a full day of fun with face painting and tattoos by Kanu o Ka Aina students, train rides, outdoor zorb ball by Honokaa High School girls soccer, inflatable bounce houses and water slides, and a petting zoo. There will be an indoor keiki game zone hosted by the Waimea Cowboys football team featuring all-day carnival games with a $15 wristband. All-day wristbands ($25) also will be available for the outdoor inflatables and waterslides. Be sure to bring lots of sunscreen, a swimsuit, towel, and beach chairs. This is a rain or shine event!

A highlight of the event will be the military static display, including the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific’s MV-22B Osprey Tiltrotor, which will be open to the public for tours. The U.S. Army at Pohakuloa Training Area will have a series of exhibits, including a surprise aircraft display and a brush truck.

Live entertainment will be featured throughout the day with “the voice of Honokaa” Dominic Yagong as emcee. This year’s lineup includes the Honokaa High School Jazz Band, Beamer-Solomon Halau ʻo Poʻohala with Kumu Hulali Solomon- Covington, Cameron Hart, Aloha Kings, Pacific Rhythm and more.

Food booths offering a variety of mouth-watering delights will be plentiful, with something for everyone, including a variety of burgers and fries, poke bowls, poke nachos, acai bowls, specialty sushi rolls; steak, shrimp, pork, and chicken tacos, Colombian empanadas, ramen, won ton chips, smoked pork plates, hot dogs, chili dogs, chili bowls, and more! There will be lots of beverages with lemonade, Tahitian limeade, assorted coffees, specialty iced teas, and shaved ice to keep everyone cool. For dessert, check out the wide array of fresh baked goods and snacks, including malasadas, banana bread, cookies, cotton candy, dippin’ dots, and Chinese pretzels.

There will be a variety of local craft booths for early holiday shopping, including natural skincare products, jewelry, microfiber towels, crocheted items, wreaths, small plants, anime-related items, waterproof bags, pareos from Ariʻi Designs, Wehi’s Boutique, Fancy, and more!

Numerous community organizations will be on hand to share information about their work and resources, including Alex & Duke DeRego Foundation, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, The Cole Academy, County of Hawaii Police Department with free keiki IDs, Hamakua-Kohala Health, Hawaii Island Youth Academy, Hilo-Kona Veterans Center, Waimea Arts Council, Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library with Rubik’s Cube Speedcubing Champion Matty Inaba of Waimea, and the Waimea Resilience Hub.

All food, craft, and activity sales are cash (no scrip), with the exception of all-day wristbands for the outdoor inflatables ($25) and the indoor keiki zone ($15). Presale information for outdoor inflatables wristbands will be available online beginning Oct. 4 at waimeaathletics.org. Attendees can pick up their prepaid wristbands at Will Call on event day beginning at 9:30 a.m. Wristband information for the indoor keiki game zone is available from any Waimea Cowboys football team member.

The last Waimea Fall Festival held in 2019 attracted more than 6,000 people and organizers are planning for a similar crowd this year.

“We have an awesome team of volunteers who are excited to bring back this family-friendly event for our island community and provide opportunities for youth programs to raise funds for their team or programs,” said Melissa Samura, event coordinator for Waimea Athletics and the Waimea Fall Festival. “We’re grateful for the enthusiastic support from our island community, businesses, schools, non-profits, and youth organizations to make the Waimea Fall Festival a memorable day for everyone.”

Proceeds from the Waimea Fall Festival benefit participating non-profit organizations and local businesses, including sport equipment sponsorships provided by Waimea Athletics for community youth programs at Waimea facilities.