Kauai East Shore - Kapa`a & Wailua

Island of Kauai

Nightlife & Entertainment

OK night owls, here’s a rundown on what’s happening where in the evening hours. If you want to catch a movie, you’re in luck. There’s a movie theater at Coconut Marketplace, 808-821-2324, that has first-run films on their two screens.

Lizard Lounge Bar & Grill, 808-821-2205, in Waipouli Town Center, serves American bar food until 1 am. The menu features sandwiches and salads and a great selection of pupus. The atmosphere is casual and laid-back. They carry a surprisingly good selection of microbrews. You can come here to catch the big game or play pool and just hang out.

Also check out Break Time Billiards & Café, 808-821-6900, across from the Kapa`a Shores in Kapa`a. They have 10 pool tables and host a tournament on Wednesday nights.

Tradewinds - A South Seas Bar, in Coconut Marketplace, 808-822-1621, www.tradewinds-kauai.com, is the place to go if you want to drink and party it up. This is a relatively small bar with drink specials throughout the day. You can order food from a few of the restaurants in Coconut Market-place. In the evening, you can try karaoke a couple of nights during the week. The evening entertainment consists of live music on Thursdays and Fridays and a DJ on Wednesdays. They also have a dart league throughout the week.

Hukilau Lana`i, Kaua`i Coast Resort at the Beachboy, Kapa`a, 808-822-0600. Open for Happy Hour 3-5 pm daily; dinner Tuesday-Sunday 5-9 pm. From 6:30 to 9:30 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Hukilau Lana`i features local entertainers playing Hawaiian and contemporary music. If you’re feeling a little thirsty before 5, stop by for a mai tai or Keoki’s beer (made on Kaua`i) on tap. They have a nice selection of exotic drinks like Coconut Coast Cooler and Mango Kiss, (margarita with mango purée), along with the standard Lava Flow (piña colada with strawberry swirl).

Luaus

Smith’s Family Garden Luau, Wailua Marina State Park, Wailua, 808-821-6895. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5 pm. $63 per adult, children seven-13 $27, three-six $17. Once you check in at 5, you’ll be greeted with a shell lei and you can stroll the beautifully kept grounds with over 20 fruit trees including breadfruit, star fruit, jackfruit, macadamia and soursop. There are replicas of Filipino and Polynesian huts as well as a beautiful Japanese-style garden. You might even see a peacock or two. Promptly at 6, the conch shells will blow, indicating that it’s time for the imu ceremony. You’ll get an explanation of the imu and how the pig is cooked in the underground oven, followed by cocktails and music. The musicians entertain throughout your meal with appealing hula and Hawaiian songs. At 6:30 pm, the luau begins. Tables are dismissed one at a time to go through the line of food such as kalua pig, poi, teriyaki beef, adobo chicken and haupia (coconut custard) for dessert. The food is very good when you consider how many people they’re feeding.

Even though there are hundreds of people, the staff goes out of their way to make you feel welcome and have a great time. There’s an emphasis on the family part of the establishment, and that comes across from every member of the staff. As for the show, I don’t think they’ve changed their show in 50 years, but that’s part of the charm. It’s thoroughly entertainng,representing cultures throughout Polynesia. Overall, Smith’s Family Garden Luau gives you an extraordinary experience.

Tihati’s Hiva Pasefika Luau, ResortQuest Kaua`i Beach at Makaiwa, 808-823-0311,www.rqkauaibeach.com. Tuesday-Sunday at 5:45 pm. Adults $62, kids 12-17 $40, three-11 $30, seniors (over 60) $57. You’ll start at 5:45 with a lei greeting and Hawaiian arts and crafts. You then have cocktails before the imu ceremony and dinner. The menu items include Kalua pig, fish, taro, salmon and poi. There’s a pareo fashion show before the Hiva Pasefika Revue. The show is a journey that reflects the one the Tahitians made to the Hawaiian Islands. Along the way, you’ll see hula dances, kahiko (ancient) hula chants and it all ends with a lengthy and always enthralling
fire-knife dance.

Hula

Coconut Marketplace has a free hula show every Wednesday at 5 pm. Catch the weekly hula show everyWednesday at 5 pm in the Center Stage in the middle of the marketplace. Hawaiian Art Museum, 4504 Kukui Street, Suite 11, Kapa`a, 808-823 8381, holds hula classes where you can learn hula, chanting and drumming. Classes are for all levels and are on Tuesdays at 7 pm. The museum also has a “Talk Story” where Serge Kahili King and Alakai of Aloha International discuss Hawaiian culture, history, legends, language, geography, healing, and the Huna philosophy. Talk Story is on Wednesdays at 7 pm. Finally, the museum conducts a Huna Healing Circle on Thursdays at 7 pm. Here you’ll learn to use ancient healing techniques of Huna to heal yourself and others.

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