Sound, color, tasty food and the feeling of excitement celebrate the Year of the Monkey at Queens’ MarketPlace this evening. ADVERTISING Sound, color, tasty food and the feeling of excitement celebrate the Year of the Monkey at Queens’ MarketPlace this
Sound, color, tasty food and the feeling of excitement celebrate the Year of the Monkey at Queens’ MarketPlace this evening.
The free event kicks off at 5 p.m. with the thundering drums of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko, and continues until 8 p.m., with 14 different food sample booths, Filipino dancers, a dynamic Lion Dance, and much more.
A prelude to Saturday’s 23rd annual Waimea Heritage Cherry Blossom Festival, Asian Fest is a unique way to experience and enjoy the music, cuisine and customs of China, Japan, Okinawa, Philippines, Thailand and other Asian cultures.
Taiko drum fans will have a chance to feel the rhythm of three different styles of the booming drummers. RMD’s style combines traditional Eisa and Karate forms with contemporary music and movement, performed by chapters across Hawaii and around the world. Kona Daifukuji Taiko is a youth group which started in 1988 and now has 17 members of multi-ethnic backgrounds. From Hilo, Taishoji Taiko’s home base is a Zen Temple founded in 1915, and with a new and young energetic leader they have developed their own style of drumming.
A centuries-old tradition with a flashy, upbeat energy, the Chinese Lion Dancers perform acrobatic feats and leaps, interacting with the audience. Participants young and old can “feed” the lion small donations in red envelopes called lycee, which will be provided, to bring good fortune in the year ahead.
Info: 886-8822, www.queensmarketplace.net.
Asian Fest
entertainment schedule:
5 p.m. — Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko
5:55 p.m. — Hawaii Lion Dance Association
6:30 p.m. — Kona Daifukuji Taiko
7 p.m. — Visayan Dance Group, Filipino dancers from University of Hilo
7:20 p.m. — Lion Dance begins at Island Gourmet Markets
7:30 p.m. — Taishoji Taiko
