Waipahu Community Association

WAIPAHU'S REVITALIZATION MOVES AHEAD

"TASTE OF WAIPAHU"

On November 11, 2001, the 103-year old plantation town of Waipahu came alive once again with an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 celebrating the community's first annnual "Taste of Waipahu-Plantation Culture Lives!". Attendees from all parts of Oahu joined with present and former Waipahuans in "tasting" the community's multi-cultural diversity through food, entertainment, ethnic parades, arts and crafts, and games.

Activities abounded throughtout the town core at Hans L'Orange Park, along Depot Road and Waipahu Street, and at Hawaii's Plantation Village. In addition to the many vendors of fresh produce and seafood, local arts and crafts, and ethnic foods (which included Waipahu restaurants and students from Leeward Community College's College's Culinary Arts program), there was a "mystery basket" cooking contest between Waipahu and Castle High Schools, "Taste of Lumpia" demonstrations by well-known local chefs, pancit cooking contents and an Iron Chef Cooking Challenge. For young and young-at-heart, there was two ethnic parades, live entertainment on three stages, a Keiki Korner complete with inflatable jumpers and slide, horse rides, a live on-site radio broadcast, and a Weed & Seed celebrity dunking booth, where "dunkees" included Chief of Police Lee Donohue, Jake Shimabukur, and TV personalities from each of the four local channels.

The event, organized by four, non-profit Waipahu organizations (Fil-Com Center, Friends of Cultural Garden Park, Hans L'Orange Park Council, and the Waipahu Community Association) and funded with a $25,000 Hawaii Tourism Authority grant, was both a successful community-building tool and major step towards the community's economic and social revitalization. The excitement generated by all of the day's activities and the gratification of accomplishing a major community event with the help of so many volunteers from churches, schools, and service providers, plus the numerous in-kind donations of products and services from businesses, has sparked renewed pride in the community. Now the community can't wait to put on the 2nd annual "Taste of Waipahu!"