FIRST EVER HAWAII RICE FEST KICKS OFF SATURDAY AT THE WATERFRONT AT ALOHA TOWER MARKETPLACE

HONOLULU, HI (September 8, 2010) – Families and friends, join us for the first ever Hawaii Rice Festival being held this Saturday, September 11 from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. A full day of activities is planned including cookoffs, contests, demonstrations, and of course, lots of yummy rice dishes to eat.

Contests include, 1st Annual “Riceipe” Cooking Contest, Da Spam Musubi Eating Contest, Kids Zone Drawing Contest, Best of Show Awards, “Rice Passport” Game, and “Live Tweetup” Scavenger Hunt.

Local chefs and celebrities will team up to bring celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, featuring rice throughout the day. You can also stop by the Rice Education Area and learn about the benefits of rice.

There will be a meet and greet session with local celebrities, including photos and autograph sessions, as well as mochi pounding demonstrations and Taiko drum performances. Plus, live music from Kapena, Heart and Soul and Ukulele Hale will be featured throughout the event.

Presented by Diamond G Rice, the Hawaii Rice Fest is also sponsored by Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Vacations Hawaii and Lanakila Pacific. Participating restaurants include Don Ho’s Island Grill, Big City Diner, KATS Sushi, Eastern Food Center and Soul Patrol, Himalayan Kitchen, Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces, Primo Sushi, Thai Kitchen, Snow Factory.

Other participants include, Leonards Bakery, Island Taste, Oshi-Genmanm Arturo’s Hot Sauces, Hawaiian Kine Seasoning, Sweet Charlotte, and University of Hawaii Mobile Gamers.

There is a brown rice shortage and you can help by donating a bag of brown rice near the entrance to the event. All proceeds will help Lanakila Pacific’s “Meals on Wheels” program, which feeds needy seniors.

Get out your chopsticks and bring your appetite for a one-day taste trip around the world at the 1st Annual Rice Fest, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 11, 2010 on the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace.

For more information please visit www.ricefest.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ricefest, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ricefest. ###