Get into the holiday spirit and support small businesses in the process — the 10th annual Keep It Kaimukī Saturday returns to the Honolulu neighborhood later this month.
The free, daylong event takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.
In addition to discounts and promotions at a number of retailers and restaurants a Kaimukī, there's plenty more to do around the community, according to a recent announcement:
- Check out the Makers Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ali‘iolani Elementary School, located at 1240 7th Ave.
- "Chill on the Hill" from noon to 7 p.m. at Kaimukī Community Park, featuring food trucks, Keep It Kaimukī merch and other vendors.
- Goodwill will present a neighborhood scavenger hunt with prizes.
- Keiki activities are being offered by YMCA and Hawai‘i Dance Bomb, and you can catch Hawai‘i International Film Festival's Keiki Shorts in the park.
- Live entertainment by Kala‘e Camarillo, Nick La‘a, and Paul Dunlap as well as community performances from Hawai‘i Dance Bomb, Jarret Middle School Dance, Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios, Sacred Hearts Hālau, Ukulele Hale and more.
- The Christmas tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m. You can catch it the tree lighting at Kaimukī Community Park and online via Keep It Kaimukī's Instagram Live.
Find free self-parking at St. Patrick's Church. Complimentary trolley rides will be available along Wai‘alae Avenue between St. Louis and Goodwill from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Jordan Lee, who owns The Public Pet, an urban pet supply store located on Wai‘alae Avenue, also founded Keep It Kaimukī several years ago. Keep it Kaimukī is a "grassroots movement committed to preserving and promoting our community of unique, locally-owned businesses that give our neighborhood its distinct charm," its website notes.
"Keep it Kaimukī Saturday is a celebration in our neighborhood of the small businesses that really create the fabric of our community," Lee told Aloha State Daily. "It's the lifeline to so many families and entrepreneurs in the neighborhood, so it really is a celebration of our neighborhood, what makes our neighborhood unique in regards to maintaining small businesses, supporting small businesses and really just helping small businesses to thrive and have a platform."
Keep it Kaimukī Saturday falls in line with Small Business Saturday, a now-annual event founded by American Express in 2010 to drive consumer spending at small businesses. It’s held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving — between Black Friday and Cyber Monday — and has been co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011.
"Here in Kaimukī, where we have a plethora of locally owned small businesses, we reclaim it as Keep it Kaimukī Saturday," Summer Shiigi, a partner at Keep it Kaimukī and owner of Ten Tomorrow and Daily Whisk Matcha, told ASD.
Lee says Keep It Kaimukī Saturday is important to both he and Shiigi because they're both small business owners in the neighborhood and "we see the immediate impact that the community has with either supporting us or supporting other locals in the neighborhood." The event, he says, is "just honing in on that and really celebrating what we're all creating together day-by-day."
"This community's really special," Shiigi says. "It's hard when you're in a mall, you're fighting for survival, you maybe don't get to know your neighbors. But here in Kaimukī, I think there's a unique blend of us. We're friends inside and outside of work; the support that we have for each other is just celebrated."
Lee says that it "feels really good" to see Keep It Kaimukī Saturday reach its 10th anniversary.
"It's been such a long and fast and crazy and fulfilling ride, and we've met so many inspirational and so many outstanding entrepreneurs," he says. "Summer and I have learned so much about the neighborhood, about our neighbors and community, even more so about ourselves and each other, so it's been a whirlwind and I love it."
What's the biggest lesson they've learned over the last decade of Keep It Kaimukī Saturday?
For Shiigi, it's how much the community, the island and the aloha spirit is alive.
"We created this event to highlight who we are and what we do, but really it's the customers, the families, the people, everyone who shows up for the day, who spends their hard-earned dollars at our local businesses, restaurants, yoga studios, cafes, stores," she says. "It means the most. It's been a hard year, and so to celebrate the 10 years, I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone come out and show their support for us."
Lee says he's learned about the resilience of the community and that "support is all around you."
Aloha State Daily is a Gold Sponsor of this year's Keep It Kaimukī Saturday event. Stop by our booth at Ali‘iolani Elementary to say hi to the ASD team, play games and win prizes.
Find more information about Small Business Saturday here and Keep it Kaimukī Saturday here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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