Save the date for Sunday, September 11th, 2011 when the 2nd Annual Hawaii Rice Festival celebrates National Rice Month with the rest of the country, right here in Hawaii. This unique, one day event will be held at Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park from 10AM to 6PM and will be packed with family fun, entertainment, food booths, educational activities, rice products, and much more!

The 2nd Annual Hawaii Rice Festival

Oceanic Time Warner Cable will be there with show specials and free giveaways so come on down to say hi!

Oceanic Time Warner Cable at last year's Rice Fest (Photo Credit: Tammi Hitchcock)

The Hawaii Rice Festival will be an opportunity for people from different cultures to come together and celebrate one of the unique elements that unite them. From celebrity/chef cooking demonstrations...

Barry "Cutty" Cutler (Cookin' with Cutty) and Stephanie Lum (Hawaii News Now) during one of the Celebrity/Chef Cooking Demonstrations last year (Photo Credit: Russ Sumida)

...to entertainment

Kapena/The DeLima Ohana performing on stage last year (Photo Credit: Tyson Yamada)

...to contests like the "Riceipe" cooking competition...

Hideaki "Santa" Miyoshi's winning dish: the "Seafood Risotto" (Photo Credit: Nadine Kam)

...and the SPAM Musubi eating contest...

Contestants stuffing their faces during the SPAM Musubi Eating Competition (Photo Credit: Kiman Wong)

... this festival will celebrate the world's melting pot, Hawaii and its diversity. The otherwise ordinary grain that is consumed in Hawaii on a daily basis will be transformed and infused with new and fantastic flavors that will tantalize everyone's taste buds. This one-day event will explore the many different uses for rice, as well as the cultures who use it, and will provide attendees with a deeper appreciation for rice and its many functions.

Chef Robert Denis' entry for the "Riceipe" Competition (Photo Credit: Stephen Claro)

This year, there will be a vastly expanded Keiki Zone (with bouncies, slides, video games, face painting, etc.), unique partnerships with Hawaii's Credit Unions' "Have a Rice Day" campaign and with Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi's new book from Watermark Publishing "The Hawaii Book of Rice", and even a Guinness World Record™ attempt to create the largest SPAM® Musubi!

Of course, what would a day of fun be without giving back to those who are less fortunate? Part of the proceeds from the 2nd Annual Rice Fest will go to Lanakila Pacific, who will also be collecting donations of brown rice at the event.

Lanakila Meals on Wheels will be accepting brown rice donations

This 8-hour, one-day event expects to again draw in thousands of people, filled with both appetites and a curiosity of all things rice. Come on down and join in on what will indeed be a very RICE day!

Rice Fest Poster!

2nd Annual Rice Festival (FREE Admission!)
Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park
Sunday, September 11, 2011 @ 10am-6pm
For more info: RiceFest.com / Facebook / Twitter
To RSVP: Facebook Event / Twtvite