Sun City Grand Real Estate: Phoenix Arizona Retirement Communities Blog by Leolinda Bowers

  Annual Arizona Aloha Festival
Tempe Town Lake Beach Park 
10AM to 5PM March 10, 2012

Just a few days from now thousands of people will flock to the Tempe Town Lake Beach Park in Tempe Arizona to enjoy the festivities at the yearly Arizona Aloha Festival. The Arizona Aloha Festival is a delightful remembrance of Hawaii. People descend to Tempe to enjoy  hula, Tahitian and Maori dancers, music, food, vendors and activities.  Just the aroma of plumeria leis is reminiscent of a taste of Hawaii. 

If you enjoy watching hula, you’ll be sure to enjoy the Arizona hula dancers from Tucson, Cottonwood, Showlow, Pinetop/Lakeside, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale. Dancer from  California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Zealand and the Cook Islands participate.  Dancers will perform ancient hula (kahiko) and modern hula (auana) hula. 

This year my hula group, Ho’oku’i, will be performing on the mountain stage at 1:15pm on Saturday.  Due a recent illness, I will not dance this year.

An estimated 300,000 attended 2011 witheven more peopleexpected this year. 

Besides the great food, there are lots to see and do at the Aloha Festival.  Five outrigger canoe clubs from Arizona will be paddling canoes. Children can learn lei making using candy. Storytellers will tell stories of how ancient Hawaiians voyaged across the pacific to and from Hawaii, New Zealand and other South Pacific islands.  Ukulele artists will teach basic ukulele playing. Learn how to make an Ipu Heke, a gourd used in Hawaiian chants and dances.

Vendors will sell flower leis, lauhala hats, carved bone necklaces, Hawaiian apparel, colorful Hawaiian fabrics, surfer shorts, Kona coffees and Hawaiian music.  Best of all, food reminiscent of the islands will be available.  Food is always plentiful!

Be sure to enter the drawing for 80,000 Hawaiian Air Miles or for $5 enter to win one of two vacations in Hawaii.

Bring a picnic blanket or chair and enjoy the Hawaiian music, hula, food, vendors and festivities.

Please kokua and call me if you are in the market to buy, sell or do a 1031 exchanged for a home in any one of Arizona retirement communities. You can search on my website www.LEOLINDA.com for homes in any Phoenix West Valley age restricted community: Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Sun City Festival, Corte Bella Country Club, Arizona Traditions and Trilogy at Vistancia.

17^th Annual Arizona Aloha Festival

Tempe Town Lake Beach Park March 12 and 13, 2011
10AM to 5PM

The Arizona Aloha Festival is celebrated each year during the second weekend in March at the Tempe Town Lake Beach Park.  If you've been to Hawaii it will be a delightful rememberance.  If you've never been to Hawaii, you are sure to enjoy the hula, Tahitian and Maori dancers, food, vendors and activities.  Just the aroma of plumeria leis is reminiscent of a taste of Hawaii. 

Halau is a Hawaiian word meaning a hula school.  Halau's from Tucson, Cottonwood, Showlow, Pinetop/Lakeside, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Zealandand the Cook Islands will dance kahiko (ancient) and auana (modern) hula.  This year my hulau troupe, Hanau O' Hawaii, will be performing on the main stage at 10:00am on Saturday.  Be sure to take your camera, you'll never guess who you may see.

An estimate 175,000 people attended 2010's event with more expected this year.  Proceeds of the yearly tee-shirt sale will again go to the Samoa Tsunami Relief. 

Keali'i Reichel will have a concert on March 12 at 7pm.  Keali'i is a re-known Hawaiian performer who has played sold out concerts throughout the Hawaiian Islands and in Carnegie Hall.  Tickets are available through the Gammage website or by calling the box office.   As a kumu hula (hula teacher), Keali'i will conduct a lesson in auana and kahiko for experienced hula dancers on March 13.  

80,000 Hawaiian Air Miles will be raffled off, that's enough miles for two round trip tickets and 5 nights at the either the Aston Paki Maui or the Sheraton Waikiki.

There's lots to see and do.  Various clubs including the five outrigger canoe clubs from Arizona will be paddling (now that we have water in the lake).  Lau Kanaka No Hawaii, a Hawaiian Club in Arizona since 1972 and student clubs from Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University will be enrolling for their activities, playing rugby and volleyball. 

Keikis (children) can learn to make a lei using colorful paper flowers or make mini poi balls.  Storytellers will tell stories of how ancient Hawaiians voyaged across the pacific to and from Hawaii, New Zealand and other South Pacific islands.  Ukulele artists will teach basic ukulele playing.

Vendors will sell flower leis, lauhala hats, carved bone necklaces, Hawaiian apparel, colorful Hawaiian fabrics, surfer shorts, Kona coffees and Hawaiian music.  Best of all, food reminiscent of the islands will be available.  Vendors will be selling kulolo, haupia, poi, lau lau, lomilomi salmon, manapua, Portuguese malasadas, pork adobo, manapua (steamed pork-filled buns); haupia (a coconut pudding); Vilo Vilo chicken, Spam musubi and traditional plate lunches.  Food will be plentiful!

Just bring your lauhala mat or chair and enjoy the Hawaiian music, hula, food, vendors and festivities.

Please kokua and call me if you are in the market to buy, sell or do a 1031 exchanged for a home in any one of Arizona retirement communities. You can search on my website www.LEOLINDA.com for homes in any Phoenix West Valley age restricted community: Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Sun City Festival, Corte Bella Country Club, Arizona Traditions and Trilogy at Vistancia.  Thank you and mahalo.