Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, May 25, 2017 9 ‘Rowdy, good fun’ Honokaa Western Week, a celebration of paniolo heritage, culminates this weekend with the Paniolo Parade & Block Party on Friday and the Hawaii Saddle Club Scholarship Rodeo on Sunday and Monday. First started as a way to help the area thrive and pay tribute to the hard-working people who keep the cowboy lifestyle alive, Honokaa Western Week features a series of paniolo-themed events, including line-dancing classes, a farm festival, historic town talks and a Portuguese bean soup contest. It all leads up to the Paniolo Parade & Block Party on Mamane Street, which will be closed from 2-11 p.m. for all the festivities. “The block party on Friday as well as the parade are the crowning points of our HWW festivities,” says Michelle Hartman, Honokaa Business Association president and HWW coordinator. “They really help kick off the weekend rodeo, which helps raise scholarship money for graduating seniors.” The parade begins at 4 p.m. and features mounted and marching units, pa‘u riders, vintage cars and more. Darde “Tita Nui” Gamayo of radio station KAPA-FM will be one of the parade announcers. Mayor Harry Kim will be the grand marshal. At 5 p.m., the stick horse races will take place, followed by the Saloon Girls and Cowboys Got Talent contests at 6 p.m. There will dancing in the street from 7-10 p.m. with classic country and hot country rock by the Bobby Reno Band. Look for the free Keiki Corral area, which features carnival-style games, a silent auction with more than $3,000 in items donated by local businesses, and a petting zoo provided by Ka Hale O Na Keiki Preschool. “It’s really about the whole community coming together to celebrate our shared agricultural and paniolo history,” Hartman says. “There’s the beloved Saloon Girls and Cowboys Got Talent contests, and it’s just rowdy, good fun. Our live band ends the evening and gets everybody up and dancing.” Also keep an eye out for “Sheriff” Larry Ignacio and his posse, who will be trolling the streets, looking for troublemakers who haven’t ponied-up $3 for the commemorative HWW button. All in fun, those without a button will get stuck in the pokey until they buy a button or a friend springs for bail. Maria Muldaur and her Red Hot Bluesiana Band take to the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Honokaa People’s Theatre. For tickets, visit www. lazarbear.com or call 896- 4845. More paniolo fun caps the weekend with the “Saturday Slack” events starting at 8 a.m. followed by Sunday and Monday’s 61st annual Hawaii Saddle Club Scholarship Rodeo. The largest and oldest rodeo in the state takes place at the Rose Andrade Correia Stadium at the Honokaa Rodeo Arena, and typically draws close to 2,000 spectators. “Saturday Slack” is an elimination round; then the cowboys, keiki and wahine are put through their paces at 9 a.m. Sunday and noon Monday, competing for buckles, saddles and prize money. Hawaii rodeo events such as po‘o wai‘u are in the lineup, along with bull riding, calf roping, bareback and saddle bronc events. There is even some sheep riding for the keiki. Through the years, the rodeo has awarded thousands in scholarship funds to high school seniors islandwide as well as continuing education scholars. “Honokaa Western Week is an experience like no other,” Hartman says. “The whole family will have a good time.” Honokaa Western Week is a volunteer-driven project supported by the Honokaa Business Association, Steinlager, SCADA & Control Systems LLC and others. For more information, follow Honokaa Western Week on Facebook or visit www. honokaawesternweek.org. By KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA Special to the Tribune-Herald Block party, rodeo complete Honokaa Western Week PHOTO: SARAH ANDERSON Saloon Girls and Cowboys Got Talent hopefuls ride in the 2016 Paniolo Parade in Honokaa.
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