MEDIA RELEASE

Delicious and good for you, local avocados are the star of the show at the fourth annual Hawaii Avocado Festival 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20.

The free community, Zero Waste event is at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on Highway 11 and offers a wealth of activities for attendees of all ages.

Fun and informative festivities include demonstrations on avocado grafting and growing, an avocado recipe contest, free guacamole sampling, farmer’s market, arts and crafts, healing arts, agriculture and sustainable living displays, a green fashion show, raffle benefit for Innovations Public Charter School, exciting keiki games, healthy organic foods and a beverage booth serving refreshing smoothies, juices and kava drinks and a living Eco Village pavilion.

Also on display will be original festival art by Shirley Pu Wills, a Chinese brush painting titled “Avocadoes in the Breeze.” The art will be sold on prints and T-shirts and Wills will be available to sign prints.

The 2010 Hawaii Avocado Festival is sponsored by Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens, South Kona Green Market, Hawaii Island Green Initiative (HIGI), Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, Hawaii Community College-West Hawaii Culinary Arts Program, UH’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers-West Hawaii, Hawaii Health Guide, recyclehawaii.org, Zero Waste, Divine Goods, Keep It Green Hawaii, Kona Business Center, Hawaiian Springs Water, Island Naturals, Innovations Public Charter School, Friends of NELHA, Green Collar Technologies, One Island Sustainability and Earth Matters.

For information, contact Randyl Rupar at 936-5233 or visit www.manakeasanctuary.org