28 Sep Play island-style at Whalers Village

KAANAPALI, Maui – A hotspot for complimentary cultural entertainment and activities, Whalers Village Fine Shops & Restaurants celebrates the island lifestyle in and around an outdoor Center Stage. Stop by for Polynesian hula and Tahitian dance shows in the evenings, and join in to learn more about Hawaiian arts and crafts during the day. A free-admission Whalers Museum deepens island understanding with a colorful slice of whaling history, while the whole Village quickens during a variety of exuberant annual festivals. For current details, visit the calendar at www.whalersvillage.com.

Entertainment:
Live Polynesian hula and/or Tahitian dance shows. (Center Stage, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 7-8 p.m.)

Recreational activities:
Artisan lei demonstrations and hands-on flower lei-making classes. (Center Stage, every Tuesday and Friday, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Cultural Hula Lessons (Center Stage, every Wednesday, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.) and Hula Lessons (Center Stage, every Thursday, 3-4 p.m.)

Annual Events:

Maui Onion Festival:
First celebrated in 1990, Maui’s famed crop, the Maui Kula Onion, remains at the center of a one-day extravaganza that brings thousands of locals and visitors together around the cross-cultural themes of agriculture, celebration and good food. This must-attend event features a full day of celebrity chefs demonstrating cooking techniques followed by food sampling for the audience and a Maui Onion Recipe Contest. Traditionally, children and adults get serious in a 60-second Maui Onion eating contest, juicy Maui onion rings are fried crisp and golden hot by the Maui Onion Growers Association farmers, and diverse booths showcase Maui’s fresh produce and agricultural pride. A signature event for Whalers Village, the Festival is free, and held every first Saturday in May.

Maui Marathon:
Hosted by Whalers Village and, in September, celebrating its 40th year, the Maui Marathon attracts thousands of runners and their families for its scenic course with 17 miles oceanfront. The finish line is right at Whalers Village, with athletes coming in from just after 7 a.m. until about 1 p.m., feted, of course, by a vibrant variety of entertainment and activities.

Christmas Promotion:
Each year, in December, visitors to Whalers Village have a chance to receive a free, original ornament, by purchasing $100 worth of merchandise at any of the stores or a combination of stores and presenting the receipts at Marriott Maui Ocean Club customer service center.

Whalers Museum:
Renowned across the Pacific, the free-admission Whalers Village Museum tells the story of the heyday of whaling in Lahaina (1825-1860) from the perspective of the seafarers themselves, with self-guided audio tours, daily films, scale models, artifacts, photo murals, graphic interpretations, whale tooth ivory objects, and scrimshaw. (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Recognized as Maui’s premier oceanfront shopping destination, Whalers Village Fine Shops & Restaurants is part of the master-planned, award-winning Kaanapali Beach Resort and hugs the famed three-mile long strip of Kaanapali Beach. Set on 8.5 tropical acres, diverse, carefree, and sophisticated at once, the three-level open-air village comprises 110,836 square feet of retail space with a vibrant variety of shops and restaurants. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., it’s the place to shop, dine, and play.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lisa Donlon (onsite marketing manager)
Whalers Village Fine Shops & Restaurants
2435 Kaanapali Parkway
Lahaina, Hawaii 96761
808-661-4567
www.whalersvillage.com

Charlene Ka‘uhane
Ka‘uhane Inc.
2099 Wells Street
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-243-2290
Charlene@KauhaneInc.com