It's the time of the year when the Silver Generation make the journey to the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall for the annual Hawaii Seniors' Fair - The Good Life Expo; if not for the entertainment or selecting a vendor that appeals to them or maybe to renew their ZIPPY's Senior Discount Card. Yeah! September is a great month and it finds Lani and me heading to the Blaisdell this fine Saturday morning after a onolicious breakfast at ZIPPY's in Hawaii Kai. Traffic was a little heavy on the K Highway and I wondered if everyone was headed to the Seniors' Fair, too. Okay, admission is free to the Fair but the parking fee is still 6 bucks no matter if you stayed all the way to 4:30PM which is when the Fair ends. Anyway, we got see a lot of vendors offering Senior Care, Health Care Insurance, Flu Shots, Travel Literatures and lots more that would be of concern and interest for the Silver Generation. My interest was the programs on stage while my main squeeze was more in tuned with the booths that offered avenues to maintain good health. I'll never know who I'm gonna meet while pushing my way to the stage area. Yeah! it was crowded alright. Some of our dance students who we haven't seen for a long time came up to us with a "hello" and a hand shake or hug. Got those greetings from the politicians, too, but the Governor was more giving with a handshake and passing out sealed packages of colored popcorn. Must've been good tasting popcorn 'cause Lani dugged into half a package before I knew it. Dat's okay but when Lani came back from her excursion of the nearby booths and said that a lady at the booth said that she knows me from working together at Safeway Stores way back in the 60's, the big question was a shaky "Oh!Oh!who can she be????"
On the Main Stage were our friends from the STEPTACULARS, the performing dance group that have appeared for at the Seniors' Fair time and time again. I didn't get to see the whole show but I did get to see our friend Salome, Ron and his wife Manjit, and a new act with Sonny and Cher impersonators singing "I Got You, Babe". It was an entertaining and colorful show with music and dancing as only the StepTaculars can do it.
There were Hula Dancers from Na Wahine O Ka Hula Mai Ko Pu'uwai, Silver Sneakers Group Exercise Class from 24 Hour Fitness, and 808 Zumba from Washington Fitness. The latter two encouraged the seniors to participate in the movement exercises.
I had missed Bill Doherty of the StepTaculars Flamenco and Cape Dance earlier but lo and behold there was another Flamenco Dance performance scheduled at the Galeria Stage. Lani and I got to meet Marquis Johnson before he got on stage with the three ladies who were gonna dance the Flamenco with him. Except for the fast footwork, it was a different Flamenco dance from the ones that I observed in the past. It was a striking performance that drew a large audience and even got my main squeeze interested in Flamenco Dancing.
Lani and I were very, very impressed with the performance by the Nanakuli High School Performing Arts students. They put on a musical show like one from Broadway with many solo singers, many dancers, and singers that danced also. Most if not all the songs and music were from the Rock & Roll era of the 40's to the 60's way before these young students were born. (Songs made popular by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and others). And they carried the tunes and dances as though they were projected back in time. No doubt the singers and dancers were top-notch performers.
(Left click on photos to zoom in)