After a 20-year absence, the Mililani High School Carnival returns to the community!…read more 2015 dates: Feb 20, 2015 Friday from 3 PM to 11 PM Feb 21, 2015 Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM Feb 22, 2015 Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM PARKING is to be found along the side streets or you can pay $5 at Mililani Waena Elementary for parking. Ride tickets = one coupon $1.50 or a book of ten for $15.00 RIDES by EK Fernandez = there's a mix of rides for the tiny tots to the Screaming Fire Ball - the 360 degree roller-coaster where you go around in circles upside down and hope the Funnel Cake you ate doesn't come flopping out of your gut onto your face. Kiddie rides include the carousel, Magic Maze (hall of mirrors and a slide), Crazy Plane, Helicopter, Super Slide and the speedway (fixed rail car buggys). Other rides for tweens/adults and daring kids include the Zipper, Area 51 UFO ride thing (a slow human centrifuge), the ferris wheel, the jungle twist (like a teacup zippy ride in a car-shaped cart), Pharoah's Fury (like the Pirate ship ride, goes back and forth like a crazy banana) and the Fire Ball! Kiddie Rides are 2 coupons. Pharoah's Fury, Jungle Twist and Ferris Wheel are 3 coupons. Zipper, Area 51 and Fireball are 4 coupon rides. Bathrooms = you can use the high school toilets (unless locked) or the luxury porta-potty trailer. Sinks are outside of the trailer. FOOD = Not sure how much food scripts cost, but Beef Stew and rice with mac salad is 10 scripts. Some booths take cash, some scripts. Funnel cake $6, Cotton candy bag $6, Cotton candy $3, Candy apple $3, hot dog $3, corn dog $3, whole pepperoni pizza $28, pizza slice $3. Variety of soft drinks, Icee. GAMES = Your typical carnival fare, i.e. dull darts aiming at somewhat deflated week-old balloons; knock over milk cans. Aim gun ball at cans on a pedestal; shoot water gun at target to win florescent squid hats. The only game we "won" at was the fishing for a turtle in a turtle-pond-game for $5 - guaranteed to win a large nubby rubber ball or a plastic helicopter you assemble yourself - no time limit. Great for people who want to win something and not shell out $30 to win a stuffed animal. WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER = a White Elephant or Garage sale type event in the cafeteria including plant sales. If I'm going to waste money, I'd rather buy other people's junk and I guarantee the school would make tons money off of other's donations. RETURN FACTOR = yes. It's a small carnival but the money goes to the Mililani Trojans so its for a good cause.

The sky was gloomy with a light drizzle, but it didn't stop the crowd from showing up to the annual…read moreMililani High School Carnival this past weekend. It seemed very well organized. There was ample parking on campus for a $5.00 fee or drivers could take their chances finding street parking nearby. The uniformed military personnel and students at the gates were very polite, respectful and helpful in providing directions upon arrival. Next, the layout of the event was sectioned off well. As families entered, I noticed the childrens' eyes fill up with excitement as they ran in towards the carnival rides pulling their parents' arms encouraging them to hurry-- my daughter included. Coupon booths were strategically placed in all of the right places for customer convenience. The rides were separated for the "big kids," then a little further in, on the left, the little ones could enter "Keiki Land" for their rides. Ride coupons cost $15.00 for a sheet of 10 scripts and $1.50 for individual tickets. Most rides were 3-4 scripts by the big kid section and 2 scripts in Keiki Land. Directly across Keiki Land, were booths from HPD, where parents could sign their kids up for a free photo ID (fingerprint included), and The U.S. Vets, where the children could pet a few service dogs while they waited for their IDs to print. Other booths included a place where kids could get temporary tattoos ranging from 4 scripts to 14 scripts depending on the design choosen. Again, script booths were strategically placed for customer convenience. Adjacent to those specialty booths was the dining area and food booths. There was a variety of options to choose from, such as Tacos in a Bag, Filipino plate lunches (the pork belly is roasted right in front of you), as well as desserts like shave ice and ice cream. All seemed like popular choices judging by the formation of the lines in front of each booth. Then, inside the cafeteria were even more booths, such as the official photo booth for the event, which cost 8 scripts for one sitting. Going back outside, you'd find the carnival games and circle back to the "big kid" rides again. Overall, this event was a very well thought-out, well-planned and well-executed event. At the end of the day, my daughter told us that she had a lot of fun and the 4-star rating was actually hers, which I thought would be appropriate to ask her for her opinion being that this was a family event geared toward kids.

I found this place 6 years ago & signing up for classes here was the best (and smartest) thing that…read moreI ever did for myself. I'll have to say that when I first got here everyone knew each other. I could tell I was walking into a family that had known each other for years. Which made me nervous cuz that's why I left my previous dance studio in the first place. But Applause welcomed me with open arms & by the second week I felt like one of their own. As the years went by the family only got bigger & bigger because that's the kind of place applause is. Not only do they have amazing teachers in dance, voice, & acting but they also have FANTASTIC workshops from broadway stars & other accredited people that I was able to put on my résumé. Sadly, I do not dance at Applause anymore. Thanks to my mentors at Applause, I've been living in NYC for 2 years where I am now applying all my training to peruse the dreams that I had when I signed up for classes at this studio 6 years ago. Whenever I come back to Hawaii, I always make sure that Applause is one of the first places I go back & visit.

APA has been my home for two years now. It is a great environment for every personality, where they…read moreall come together to share their love for the arts. Whether you take class for fun or to pursue a serious future in performing, the teachers and ohana of Applause Performance Academy offer amazing support, dedicated training, and most of all, genuine happiness. A range of many ages mix in different leveled classes, that are suited for each students' needs. The teachers truly invest in your talent and potential whether it is offering individual help to a student in, out, or after a class. Styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, modern, musical theatre, technique, jazz, tap and a conditioning class for strengthening and maintaining flexibility for dancers are offered in addition to voice and acting classes. If a welcoming studio with a BIG heart is what you are looking for, I truly recommend Applause Performance Academy. - S.B. student of APA

I almost dont want to write this review because this is a really great event and at the moment it…read moreis not super extremely crowded but I think it deserves MANY stars. My family hasn't pounded mochi in about 35 years and I wanted to have my daughter experience it. I wasn't really expecting much from this event. My friend invited us to go to it and I was hesitant but somewhat excited to go since it has been a while since I saw or pounded mochi. Met my sister and her family and decided that we would pound together. 10 dollars and about a 2 hour wait (eating ono food and looking at the open market) later we were pounding mochi. It was pretty amazing to have that many people able to pound mochi (100 families). And it went pretty smoothly too. There was about 5 usu going at the same time and it was a sight to see. From smashing the rice all the way to pounding and shaping the balls (haha), it was really amazing. I would say go early, before the 9am opening. But wait, like all YELP reviews I gotta talk about the food! Yaki Mochi - 2$ (yes, 2 dollars) - big piece of mochi and nori! WIN! Sweet Red Bean Mochi - 2$ - again, lots of sweet red azuki beans and huge mochi! WIN again Oden - 5$ - 3 piece soft beef, egg, 3 daikon, konyakku, etc... oh man, this one was a super win. Chicken Yakitori - 2 for 5$ - my daughter inhaled them and loved it. Must have been good. There was also other food choices that I didn't try but all of the things we tried were GREAT! Bathrooms were plentiful and the parking on the grass was availiable. Pounding the mochi with my family really was a bonding experience. I loved it and it really brought me back to a simpler time of family, friends, and togetherness. LOTS and LOTS of props to the Honbushin Church for offeing this to the public. I will be coming back every year if at all possible. Hope to see you all there! Ok, wait, not ALL of you. haha! Happy NEW Year!

Who would have thought that this church was all the way nestled up in the hills of Mililani! Their…read moreannual New Years Mochitsuki festival had so much to do! They have family mochi pounding, a farmers market, cotton candy, home made fruit drinks fresh from their garden, and great music! although the selection of food is not very big, you don't need to have a big selection when everything tastes so great! The home made Oden was unlike any other oden i've eaten and it was probably my favorite one i've had. The Tonjiru (pork based soup with veggies) was full of flavor and this was my kids' personal favorite. The fresh mochi was super soft and came with a variety of flavors like Yaki (shoyu with nori), azuki, kinako (peanut powder), or peanut butter and honey. But the best thing about this event is the family mochi pounding! If you dont get here early though the spots can fill up quickly. But it was great to have my kids try pounding their own fresh mochi from scratch. They all had a lot of fun and we will definitely make this an annual tradition!

I love coming to Kānewai, its definitely a great view in suburbia. There's a normal class that's…read morethere every semester for loi kalo. Great for all ages and they always accommodate as well. Every first Saturday they have a community work day that starts I believe at 8am until about 12pm-ish. To schedule a tour you have to contact them, I always see them having different groups. Its a very spiritual place and should be highly respected when entering this āina. If you can and you're around the town area, I highly recommend experiencing and participating in aloha and mālama āina!

Visited doing some volunteer work with my son's soccer club. Great cultural experience with a lot…read moreof hands on work. The staff were great and super friendly provided an awesome history lesson while we worked. Not only was the experience top notch the food and snacks delicious and Top Chef quality and was not expected so it topped the day off filling our stomachs with ono food!

Anxious for it to start. So many kids here that it's busier than usual. Traffic and parking are…read morecrazy so plan in advance. 6:07pm and hasn't started. ------------- The show was amazing as usual given the number of people involved with the production to include music. It was slightly different than last year which we thought was strange, but I guess keeps it fresh and people returning. We brought our two teenage boys with us this year and they enjoyed it to some degree but would have preferred to stay home. I wouldn't say that's anything negative about the production but rather more about the lack of maturity of the boys. They were both in band and played different instruments, and were able to tell us all about what they saw in the orchestra. So they did get something out of it even if they don't care much for ballet. lol There were bus loads of kids in the theater to the point they occupied the lower tier of the Blaisdell. Noise levels were higher as the kids were chatting and No food is allowed in the theater despite it being sold outside of the Blaisdell. It must be consumed there. Drinks are allowed to be brought in. Prices aren't cheap and lines are long so be prepared.

Love this place. We're in tap dancing, tumbling, and ballet. Super friendly and supportive…read moreteachers. Very caring, patient, kind, but yet expecting discipline from the students. They work with kids as young as 3, I think and all with the patience of a saint - they can put up with crying, stubborn behavior, fear, hesitation, with a smile on their face and a heart of gold! And Ms Shinogu brings great discipline into the class and doesn't put up with nonsense but she does it in a way that is extremely nurturing and caring. She really wants to support all of the students to be the best of themselves. The Tumbling classes can be hard to get into so if you're interested in tumbling, sign up as soon as class registration opens. Ms Gina was very understanding when we were first starting and helped us navigate our way through the classes and now we're there 3 times a week. One tough thing is that participating in the summer performance is very expensive and somewhat cost prohibitive between the participation fee, costume fees, volunteer requirement, and ticket prices. However, dance students are not required to participate in the performance and can still completely participate in the regular classes! The one awful thing about this place is the parking. 1) there is a free lot (register for 1 hour free, after that it's paid) across the small street but it's so hard to find a stall because it's shared with a lot of other places, the stalls are small, and so many cars can't park within the lines, 2) they can ticket you, even if you have paid - they did rescind it but only after I took the time to figure out how to dispute it, 3) there are a few street parking spaces up the hill but hard to get, 4) you can park at the municipal lot but have to allocate enough time to walk across the street, and sometimes that lot is full.

My oldest daughter started her dance adventure at the age of 3. The Movement Center has allowed my…read moredaughter to explore her passion of dance. They offer an array of classes and the instructors care about their students. The environment is friendly and open. Ms. Gina the Director of the studio is also amazing!

I'm just a newbie to this world but am certainly enjoying the community, the learning, and…read morechallenge. One of the things that sets TCP apart from other "music " centers is that they seem to focus on providing cultural connection, learning, and understanding with the added bonus of inclusivity - ohana. If you're looking for a way to increase movement, art, joy, and culture in your life, you should consider a class at TCP.

Former TCPYG member here! What a great way to learn about Japanese culture and arts! I was with TCP…read morefrom age 9-17 and Kenny and Chizuko Senseis (along with my other senseis) taught me so much about the art of taiko and made me so proud of my heritage. Back then, we were at the KCC Chapel and I have many fond memories of cleaning, loading/unloading for performances, bonenkais, and hours of blood (mostly just blisters), sweat, and tears from laughing and having so much fun together. Thank you TCP for continuing to support the community with this art form. I hope to one day be able to show my child (if I have one) what a great sport/art form/culture taiko is!

Wow, what a hidden secret gem. Great to hang out in air condition comfort. Media room and…read morelibrary. Free admission to check out Taiwan cultural pieces of art. Nice quiet low key, no frills kind of place. If you have time to kill and can read Chinese you have free access to all the vcd movies, music, magazines and books. Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 4pm Lunch breaks : 12 to 130( dark) 3 stars and given 2 extra for the free access to media and books!

Sibyl is in charge of this library- delightful and friendly as usual…read more call ahead to confirm but hours have changed : open 10am to 12pm break time- 2hrs open again 2pm to 4pm Tidy and neat with updated magazines from Taiwan. Small computer access children's periodical room Display of wood carvings ancient ceramics jewelry for headress costume ancient royalty cosplay calligraphy old scrolls policies and village pictures Taiwan cultural costumes of indigenous peoples. Fancy embroidered costumes and huge life size puppets on display. Good job in displaying and upkeep of organizing the room Sibyl! Sybil grew up in Taiwan and answered all my questions related to Taiwan. On my travel bucket list!