Scenes from the Rice Fest

(Warning: *CHOKE* Photos)

Yeah, I know. Dis post is more than a week overdue, but bruddah ova hea had to sift through 635 photos from all ova da creation (Twitter/Twitpic, flickr, Facebook, etc.) from like 20 different peeps. Finally whittled it down to a little over a hunny in the hopes of giving you a little glimpse into the event that absolutely consumed my life for the last year or so.

For those who don’t know, I am the co-founder of an event called Rice Fest , an event that I am very passionate about, and one that I can honestly say Hawaii wants/needs. Let’s face it. We love our rice here in Hawaii. The plan is to put the Rice Fest on every September (in line with National Rice Month), which we started at our inaugural event last week Saturday (September 11, 2010) at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Below are the scenes from that day. Mahalo to everyone for the support!

Our Rice Fest sign on the morning of… Exciting!

The line waits in anticipation (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Scenic shot of Aloha Tower (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Our Sponsor Diamond G Rice (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

(A big mahaloz to our sponsors/partners: Diamond G Rice, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Lanakila Pacific, Vacations Hawaii, HPE Live, and the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace!)

Diamond G Rice gave away free rice to patrons every half hour! (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Stephen aka @PHOTOluluTV won free rice and quickly donated it to our non-profit partner Lanakila Pacific. So thoughtful!

Stephen donating his rice to Lanakila Pacific. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Still early in the day, I had some down time to visit each booth to capture the sights.

Bruddah Kalani Miller and his niece(?) at their Mobile Gamer Guys’ booth.

Some keiki having fun playing video games inside the posh Mobile Gamer Guys’ van. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Valen Ahlo posing with the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court (Princess Kimberly Fujinaka, Princess Cori Hanagami, Queen Marissa Machida, and Miss Congeniality Andrea Hiura). (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Due to a tent mix-up, the ladies of the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court were out in the hot sun for part of the day. A big mahalo to all of them for being such troopers!

Also in the Keiki Zone, University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Science educator Dr. Maria Stewart shared her current research in an interactive and educational display entitled “Nutrition for Everybody: Learn How Rice Promotes a Healthy Body”.

Dr. Maria Stewart’s Rice Education booth. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

The fellas from the Snow F|A|C|T|O|R|Y (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Russ aka @ParkRat enjoying his treat from Snow F|A|C|T|O|R|Y. (Photo Courtesy @Melissa808)

The early scene from above. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Pacific Soul’s Sean Priester and his staff. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Pacific Soul’s offerings at the Rice Fest. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Pelekunu’s booth. They won the Most Creative Booth Award! (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Grilled Teri Chicken plate from Pelekunu’s. (Photo Courtesy @Melissa808)

The Thai Kitchen booth

The Mixed Plate from Thai Kitchen

Slowly starting to pick up (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Don Ho’s Island Grill booth

Kats Sushi booth. They won the “Best of Show” award as voted on by the visitors. (Photo Courtesy @bitachu)

Spicy Tuna temaki (handroll) from Kats Sushi. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Himalayan Kitchen’s booth.

Eastern Food Center’s booth.

Various rice offerings (including jung, mochi and SPAM musubis) from Eastern Food Center. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Primo Sushi’s booth. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Big City Diner’s booth. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Island Taste’s booth. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Arturo’s Hot Sauce booth. (Photo Courtesy @LanakilaPacific)

Julia, Chimaine, Umma and Mai at the Scrip booth. (Photo Courtesy Umma Kayvalyam)

Sweet Charlotte’s booth.

Sweet Charlotte’s offerings. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Hawaiian Kine Seasonings’ booth.

Offerings from Hawaiian Kine Seasonings. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Yelp booth. (Photo Courtesy @Melissa808)

Leonard Jr.’s malasada van. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Our friends at the Lanakila Pacific booth. (Photo Courtesy @Melissa808)

One of @LanakilaPacific’s tweets during the day. (Photo Courtesy @LanakilaPacific)

The guys from Oishi-Genmai GIC Japan. Look for their products next year!

The Admission/Volunteer Check-In/Twitter #RICEHUNT booth. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Goodie bags for all Twitter #RICEHUNT participants. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

And then the #RICEHUNT Twitter Scavenger hunt began! Here are the list of items the participants had to find and Twitpic out in order to win:

• A member of the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court
• A pair of chopsticks
• A picture of Bruddah Bryan from 102.7 Da Bomb
• A picture of both Chef Barry “Cutty” Cutler and Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum at the Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo at 1PM
• A scenic picture of Aloha Tower
• A food dish with rice
• A food booth at Rice Fest
• Maribel with the new IntelliGo (at the Oceanic sponsor booth)
• A close-up of The Mobile Gamer Guys’ Bus
• A Rice Fest volunteer / staff – They must be wearing the Rice Fest shirt

Below are some of the images from the #RICEHUNT.

“A member of the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court” (Photo Courtesy @biznaz)

“A pair of chopsticks” (Photo Courtesy @princesstara459)

“A picture of Bruddah Bryan from 102.7 Da Bomb” (Photo Courtesy @bitachu)

“A picture of both Chef Barry “Cutty” Cutler and Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum at the Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo at 1PM” (Photo Courtesy @tweetpea)

“A scenic picture of Aloha Tower” (Photo Courtesy @bitachu)

“A food dish with rice” (Photo Courtesy @princesstara459)

“A food booth at Rice Fest” (Photo Courtesy @emichan58)

“Maribel with the new IntelliGo (at the Oceanic sponsor booth)” (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

“A close-up of The Mobile Gamer Guys’ Bus” (Photo Courtesy @bitachu)

“A Rice Fest volunteer / staff – They must be wearing the Rice Fest shirt” (Photo Courtesy @LaurieCicotello)

Mahaloz to all of our #RICEHUNT participants: @amisan34 (and friend), @bitachu (and friend), @biznaz, @photolulutv, @princesstara459 (and friend), @emichan58 (and friend), and @lauriecicotello, and congratulations to @bitachu for winning the grand prize that included gifts from VG Addict, OhanaPCS, TNBLive, and Oceanic Time Warner Cable. Special thanks to @octobersoldier for coordinating the game and prizes! Awesome job!

And then, it was time for the Rice Fest to officially begin! 102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan gets us started…

102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan giving away a skateboard from Oceanic Time Warner Cable (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Cookin’ With Cutty’s Barry “Cutty” Cutler and Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum put on their Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Cutty and Stephanie’s “Healthy Fried Rice” dish. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Ingredients for Cutty and Stephanie’s “Healthy Fried Rice”:

• Brown Rice
• Olive/Grapeseed Oil
• Turkey Bacon/Turkey Sausage
• Organic Eggs (whites only)
• Carrots
• Maui Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Salt & Pepper
• Seasonings
• Lettuce Leaves
• Cilantro
• Braggs Liquid Aminos

Serve on a fresh butter lettuce leaf

Stephen (@PhotoluluTV), Sara (@sarakata) and Melissa (@Melissa808) enjoying themselves at the Rice Fest (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Russ (@ParkRat), Melissa (@Melissa808), and Rick (@RickNakama) take time to pose at the Rice Fest (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

And before you knew it, it was time for the 2nd Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo, featuring Kai Market’s Chef Darren Demaya and KITV4’s Lara Yamada.

Kai Market’s Chef Darren Demaya cooking with KITV4’s Lara Yamada

Chef Darren and Lara’s dish (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Soon it was time for the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club to bless our event with good luck via a traditional lion dance. I was told to stand in front while the lions start on me. Love love LOVE this cool shot from @PhotoluluTV that totally captured the moment!

Getting blessed from the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club Lion Dancers (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

The drummers from the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Up close on one of the lions. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

The lion dances through the crowd and all over the premises for good luck. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Next up: The Ukulele Hale keiki and Jody Kamisato & Chris Salvador, aka Heart and Soul!

Jody Kamisato introducing his band Heart & Soul (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Heart & Soul with their special guest Kalei Gamiao (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

I gotta say, I was REALLY impressed with young Chris Salvador’s voice. Wow!

Kalei Gamiao, Heart & Soul, and the Ukulele Hale keiki jammin’ it up! (Photo Courtesy Jody Kamisato)

One of my favorite events of the day was the “Riceipe” Cooking contest that pitted 5 professional chefs against each other to see who could make the best dish that incorporated rice. Fun, adrenaline pumpin’, exciting stuffs!

The participating chefs were Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi from Tokkuri-Tei, Chef Kendall Uyehara from HMSHost, Chef Robert Denis from Don Ho’s Island Grill, Chef Matthew Naula from RumFire, and Chef Colin Hazama from Kauai Grill.

Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi, Chef Kendall Uyehara, Chef Robert Denis, Chef Matthew Naula, and Chef Colin Hazama line up as Bruddah Bryan introduces them. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

3-2-1… Go!

Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama goes at it. (Photo Courtesy @Mel808)

Chef Colin’s Hanalei Squid Luau Risotto (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

RumFire’s Chef Matthew Naula tosses rice in his pan. (Photo Courtesy Todd Masui)

Chef Matt’s dish. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

The crowd gathers as the chefs hurry to complete their dish. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Don Ho’s Island Grill’s Chef Robert Denis preps his dish.

Chef Robert’s Lomilomi Salmon Risotto Lollipops w/ Sweet Chili Glaze dish. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

HMSHost’s Chef Kendall Uyehara works on his gravy. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Chef Kendall’s Loco Moco a la Francaise dish. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Tokkuri-Tei’s Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi just cruisin’. (Photo Courtesy @Mel808)

Chef Santa kicks it into high gear. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Chef Santa’s Seafood Risotto. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

I’m still trying to convince him that “Sugimoto Risotto” has a much better ring to it. 😉

Meanwhile the judges took their places on stage and prepared to feast on some ono kine (rice) grindz! Our judges were Star-Advertiser Food Critic Nadine Kam, Twitter Goddess and all around foodie Melissa Chang (@Melissa808), Professional Baker Ed Morita (@NctrnlBst), and Diamond G Rice’s Harrison Wong.

Harrison, Ed, Nadine, and Melissa get interviewed by Bruddah Bryan. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Melissa taking a shot of Chef Matthew Naula’s dish. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

And then it was time to announce the winner… I’ll just let the next four photos tell the (funny) story.

Chef Santa asks, “Who me!?” (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Chef Santa in shock. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Chef Santa finally cracks a smile. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Chef Santa still in shock. (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

Chef Santa’s Seafood Risotto as seen from Nadine Kam’s perspective. (Photo Courtesy @fashiontribe)

Congratulations Santa-san!

Next up was an amazing Taiko Drum performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii under the direction of Sensei Akemi Martin.

Taiko Drum performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Taiko Drum performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii (Photo Courtesy @PHOTOluluTV)

@NctrnlBst’s Youtube video (for Nonstop Honolulu) with footage/images from the Rice Fest

Crowd shot. (Photo Courtesy Tyson Yamada)

Mel (@Mel808), Chris (@ChrisHall78) and Randi (@randi808) pose during the Rice Fest. (Photo Courtesy @ParkRat)

Hawaii News Now’s Minna Sugimoto and Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama put on their Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo

I was unfortunately running around so I was unable to capture the dish, but FYI, it was “Slow cooked New Zealand King Salmon” with miso yuzu broth, young ginger, soft tofu, and crispy jasmine rice… A dish Chef Colin serves at his Kauai Grill restaurant.

Now that’s a good lookin’ couple! 😛 Ron and Sherry pose during the Rice Fest. (Photo Courtesy Tyson Yamada)

And then Kapena takes the stage!

Kapena / De Lima `Ohana serenading the audience at Rice Fest. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Kelly Boy, Kalena, and Lilo!

Scenic shot of Aloha Tower as nightfall sets in. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

The crowd enjoys the music of Kapena. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Kelly Boy spontaneously calls on a girl from the Pelekunu booth to dance hula during a song. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Walter and Lincoln hanging out at the Vacations Hawaii booth. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Maude and Travis working the Oceanic Time Warner Cable booth. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Harrison holding things down at the Diamond G Rice booth. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

And then came the hilarious and entertaining SPAM Musubi eating contest. The contestants had 3 minutes to eat as many SPAM Musubis as possible!

Bruddah Bryan counts down to the start of the SPAM Musubi Eating Contest.

And… they’re off! (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

The look of pain (or concentration)! One of the two. 😉 (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Still going! … As the audience captures footage. (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Keep it going! (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Time’s running out! (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

And Rodney’s the winnah! He ate an amazing 8 out of 10 SPAM musubis within the 3 minute period! (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

“Uncle Rodney” gets mobbed by his adoring fans/family! (Photo Courtesy Kiman Wong)

Why do I call him “Uncle Rodney”? Check out the video! LOL!

SPAM Musubi Eating Contest at the 2010 Rice Fest

And then it was a wrap!

The 2010 Rice Fest is in the books! See you next year!

A big mahalo to everyone who came out to support our first event. Thank you to our hard working staff and volunteers (especially Lincoln Jacobe and my day-to-day partners in crime: Umma Kayvalyam, Harold Su and my wife Mai). Thank you to the media for all of your coverage, including Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Hawaii News Now’s Sunrise, KITV4 This Morning, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Nikkan Sun, KUMU, Nonstop Honolulu and all those who talked/blogged about us in Hawaii’s Social Media space (@Melissa808, @ParkRat, @Mel808, @RickNakama, @sarakata, @PhotoluluTV, @fashiontribe, @octobersoldier, @LanakilaPacific, @randi808, @pacificsoul, @Nctrnlbst, @amisan34, @bitachu, @biznaz, @princesstara459, @emichan58, @lauriecicotello, @tweetpea, @haboolani, @HawaiiIRL, @hnlmark, @strobie, @SSquire, @MikeSumida, @ChrisHall78, @JKuroiwa, @atmarketing, @Living2Shop, @theodene, and more! Sorry, I know I’m missing a lot!). Mahaloz to @PhotoluluTV, @ParkRat, Kiman Wong, Todd Masui, Tyson Yamada, and more, for taking photos and letting me “borrow” some for this blog. 😛

Mahalo to our sponsors and partners Diamond G Rice, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Lanakila Pacific, Vacations Hawaii, HPE Live, the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, and Rob Yunich and the rest of the USA Rice Federation team. Thank you to all of our vendors: Arturo’s Hot Sauce in Hawaii, Big City Diner, Don Ho’s Island Grill, Dr. Maria Stewart (University of Hawaii at Manoa Professor of Nutrition), Eastern Food Center, Hawaiian Kine Seasonings, Himalayan Kitchen, Island Taste, KATS SUSHI, Lanakila Pacific, Leonard’s Malasadas, Mobile Gamer Guys, OISHI-GENMAI – GIC JAPAN, Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces, Primo Sushi, Thai Kitchen, Soul Patrol, SNOW |F|A|C|T|O|R|Y|, and Sweet Charlotte, and our entertainers: 102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan, Cookin’ With Cutty’s Chef Barry “Cutty” Cutler, Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum, Kai Market’s Darren Demaya, KITV4’s Lara Yamada, Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama, Hawaii News Now’s Minna Sugimoto, Ernie Loo and the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club, Heart & Soul (and Kalei Gamiao), the Ukulele Hale Keiki, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii under the direction of Sensei Akemi Martin, Kapena (Kelly Boy, Kalena, and Lilo De Lima), Jonathan Murai and the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court, and Bubbles Duh Clown.

Thank you to our SPAM musubi eating contestants and our “Riceipe” Cooking contestants: Don Ho’s Island Grill’s Chef Robert Denis, Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama (again!), Tokkuri-Tei’s Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi, RumFire’s Chef Matthew Naula, and HMSHost’s Chef Kendall Uyehara. Mahalo also to our Starwood contacts: Candice Lee Kraughto, Jocelyn Elfstrom, Joanie Matsumoto, and Chaunce Lovett, among others. Mahaloz to the “World Wide Ed” community for reading this far and always showing your support in whatever I do. I know I’m forgetting a lot more, so thank you to anyone and everyone who helped make the inaugural Rice Fest a reality. See you guys next year! 🙂

Video highlights from the 2010 Hawaii Rice Fest

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Fave Friday: Rice Fest Tomorrow!

Lookin’ for something to do this weekend? How about a fun, food, family festival on Saturday called… wait for it…

The Rice Fest???

I know, I know, I’ve been pimpin’ this event out for the last month or so, and you’re probably tired of hearing about it, but for those who haven’t heard about it yet (or for those who ignored my last uku million or so notices), I figgah one last push wouldn’t hurt right? Hehe!

Anyway, rather than doing something standard like simply asking you to come and support a brutha and check it out, I thought that giving you the details of the event (with photos!) might be an easier sell. LOL! So without further ado… Here ya go!

12:00pm – Rice Fest (at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace) starts, hosted by 102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan

102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan

1:00pm-1:30pm – 1st Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo (with Cookin’ With Cutty’s Chef Barry “Cutty” Cutler and Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum)

Barry “Cutty” Cutler (Cookin’ With Cutty) & Stephanie Lum (Hawaii News Now)

2:00pm-2:30pm – 2nd Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo (with Kai Market’s Chef Darren Demaya and KITV4’s Lara Yamada)

Chef Darren Demaya (Kai Market) & Lara Yamada (KITV4)

2:30pm-3:00pm – Lion Dance Performance by Lung Kong Physical Culture Club

Lion Dance Performance by Lung Kong Physical Culture Club

3:00pm-3:30pm – Live Entertainment by Heart & Soul, and the Ukulele Hale Keiki

Heart & Soul, and the Ukulele Hale Keiki

3:00pm-4:00pm – “Riceipe” Cooking Competition – Professional Division (including Don Ho’s Island Grill’s Robert Denis, Kauai Grill’s Colin Hazama, Tokkuri-Tei’s Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi, RumFire’s Matthew Naula, and HMS Host’s Kendall Uyehara).

Chef Robert Denis (Don Ho’s Island Grill), Chef Colin Hazama (Kauai Grill), Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi (Tokkuri-Tei), Chef Matthew Naula (RumFire) & Chef Kendall Uyehara (HMS Host)

4:30pm-5:00pm – Taiko Drum Performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii under the direction of Sensei Akemi Martin

Taiko Drum Performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii under the direction of Sensei Akemi Martin

5:00pm-5:30pm – 3rd Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demo (with Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama and Hawaii News Now’s Minna Sugimoto)

Chef Colin Hazama (Kauai Grill) & Minna Sugimoto (Hawaii News Now)

6:00pm-6:20pm – SPAM Musubi Eating Contest

6:30pm-7:30pm – Live Entertainment by Kapena / De Lima Ohana

Kapena / De Lima Ohana

7:30pm-8:00pm – Contest Winner Announcements

8:00pm – Rice Fest Concludes

All Day (12pm-8pm)
* Live Tweetup/Scavenger Hunt – Compete in this Tweetup/Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win great prizes!
* Rice Passport Game – Complete the Rice Fest Passport for your chance to Win a trip to Vegas!
* Rice Education Booth – Learn all about Rice in our educational booth
* Rice Donation Center – Donate your rice to Lanakila Pacific’s Meals on Wheels program and
* The Keiki Zone – coloring contest hosted by members of the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court from 12pm-4pm, balloons and fun from Bubbles Duh Clown, and games from the Mobile Gamer Guys!

58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court

And let’s not forget about all of the participating vendors:

• Arturo’s Hot Sauce in Hawaii
• Big City Diner
• Bubbles Duh Clown
• Don Ho’s Island Grill
• Dr. Maria Stewart (University of Hawaii at Manoa Professor of Nutrition)
• Eastern Food Center
• Hawaiian Kine Seasonings
• Himalayan Kitchen
• KATS SUSHI
• Lanakila Pacific
• Leonard’s Malasadas
• Mobile Gamer Guys
• OISHI-GENMAI
  GIC JAPAN
• Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces
• Primo Sushi
• Thai Kitchen
• Soul Patrol
• SNOW |F|A|C|T|O|R|Y|
• Sweet Charlotte

So wot? Sold? Come on down gang! Hope to see y’all there!

Visit Us at the 1st Annual Hawaii Rice Festival!

Save the date for September 11th, 2010, a day when rice takes center stage. Diamond G Rice presents the 1st Annual Hawaii Rice Festival which will celebrate with the rest of the country the joy that is rice. This unique, one day event will be held at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower from 12PM to 8PM and will be packed with family fun, entertainment, food booths, educational activities, rice products, and much more!

Diamond G Rice Presents the 1st Annual Hawaii Rice Festival

The Rice Festival will be an opportunity for people from different cultures to come together and celebrate one of the unique elements that unite them. From celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, to entertainment to contests like the “Riceipe” contest and the SPAM Musubi eating contest, this festival will celebrate the world’s melting pot, Hawaii and its diversity. The otherwise ordinary grain that is consumed in Hawaii on a daily basis will be transformed and infused with new and fantastic flavors that will tantalize everyone’s taste buds. This one-day event will explore the many different uses for rice, as well as the cultures who use it, and will provide attendees with a deeper appreciation for rice and its many functions.

Of course, what would a day of fun be without giving back to those who are less fortunate? Part of the proceeds from the Diamond G Rice presents the 1st Annual Rice Fest will go to Lanakila Pacific, who will also be collecting donations of brown rice at the event.

This 8-hour, one-day event will expect to draw in thousands of people, filled with both appetites and a curiosity of all the different vendors available related to rice and great tasting food in general.

Visit the Oceanic Time Warner Cable booth at the Rice Fest!

Watch the Rice Fest Commercial

Road Runner customers, check your August newsletter (or click here) for a link to download a coupon for FREE admission to the event. Don’t forget to also visit the Oceanic Time Warner Cable booth for free giveaways and show only specials! Come on down and join in on what will indeed be a very RICE day!

Download the Rice Fest Poster!

Diamond G Rice presents the 1st Annual Hawaii Rice Festival Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace September 11, 2010 from 12PM-8PM For more info: Ricefest.com / Twitter / Facebook To RSVP: Twtvite / Facebook Event

Fun Day Monday – Hidden Symbols in Logos

It’s been a while since we did a “Fun Day Monday” post, so I thought I’d shock y’all, and blog about this fun/interesting one forwarded recently amongst our marketing department. Pretty interesting stuff, especially for you marketing/art/graphic types.

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An interesting bit of Logo trivia… I was not aware of these things…guess I’ll have to start watching logos more carefully.

Tostitos

Tostitos

If you look at the center of this logo, you can see two people enjoying a Tostitos chip with a bowl of salsa. This logo conveys an idea of people connecting with each other.

Formula 1

Formula 1

At first, this logo might not make much sense. But if you look closely, you’ll see the number 1 in the negative space between the F and the red stripes. I also love how this logo communicates a feeling of speed.

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers is a professional baseball team from Milwaukee , Wisconsin (well, duh…). Their logo is actually made up of the letters M (on top) and B (below the m). These two letters also form a baseball glove.

Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines

This simple looking logo actually carries a lot of information. First of all you can see the letters N and W, the first two letters of the brand name. But what most people don’t see is the compass that points to the Northwest, another reference to the brand name.

Amazon

Amazon

This logo doesn’t seem to hide much at first sight, but it gives you a little insight in the philosophy behind the brand. First of all, the yellow swoosh looks like a smile: Amazon wants to have the best customer satisfaction. The swoosh also connects the letters a and z, meaning that this store has everything from a to z.

Toblerone

Toblerone

Toblerone is a chocolate-company from Bern , Switzerland . Bern is sometimes called ‘The City Of Bears ’. They have incorporated this idea in the Toblerone logo, because if you look closely, you’ll see the silhouette of a bear.

Baskin Robins

Baskin Robins

The old logo of Baskin Robbins had the number 31 with an arc above it. The new logo took this idea to the next level. The pink parts of the BR still form the number 31, a reference to the 31 flavors.

Sony Vaio

Sony Vaio

Sony Vaio is a well known brand of laptops. But did you know that the name Vaio logo also had a hidden meaning? Well, the first two letters represent the basic analogue signal. The last two letters look like a 1 and 0, representing the digital signal.

FedEx

FedEx

Do you see any arrows on FedEx’s logo? I saw it a few times at other site saying that there’s an arrow hidden in the FedEx arrow, but I couldn’t find it. I now know where it is, it’s your turn to find. The clue is that the arrow is located in between the alphabet E and X, and the arrow is white, acting as a background.

FedEx

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Speaking of logos… Check out this gem!

1st Annual Hawaii Rice Fest

Hehe, ok, so this one is not really part of the trivia, but I thought you guys might get a kick out of it. Cute huh? It’s the logo for an event I’m helping to coordinate called the Rice Fest. Food, Fun and Festivities for the entire Family. 🙂 Come check it out this September 11th at Aloha Tower if you have some time! (Read Erika Engle’s recent article about the Rice Festival: “Catch that grain at rice festival“).

1st Annual Hawaii Rice Fest
Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace
September 11, 2010 @ 12pm-8pm
For more Info: RiceFest.com / Twitter / Facebook
To RSVP:  Twtvite / Facebook Event

Have a great week gang! See you for Where In Hawaii Wednesday! 🙂