Recently in Lahaina Category

The Hawaiian island of Maui is known for its lovely beaches, lush tropical forests, and sweet Kula onions. That's right, some of the world's finest onions are grown on the fertile slopes of Haleakala, the island's iconic dormant volcano, and if you've never tried a Maui Kula onion, here's a great opportunity to get more than a little taste. The 18th Annual Maui Onion Festival will be held August 4 and 5 at Whalers Village in Lahaina.
Guests at the nearby Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort, and Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas might get a kick out of this quirky tribute to a vegetable kids love to hate. The event, which draws thousands of people every year, features a Maui produce market, onion recipe contest, hula lessons, craft fair, and, most importantly, a raw Maui onion eating contest.
Do you think you have what it takes to defeat onion-eating specialists Eric Siegmund or Eric "Badlands" Booker, who consumed nine ounces of raw Maui onion in one minute in a recent contest? If so, pack your Tic Tacs and step right up. They say that Maui Kula onions are so sweet you can almost bite into them like apples, but I'm thinking "almost" is the operative word here. Even if you don't compete, you can feast on crisp, savory onion rings that are fried in big cauldrons throughout the festival, and watch demonstrations of recipes that use Maui onions as a theme ingredient by chefs such as Michael Barry of Leilani's on the Beach and Ivan Pahk of Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, among others.
At the end of the day, you won't want to miss the Polynesian Hula Show and Tahitian Dance demonstration by Nehe Nehe Luau Extravaganza, to be held both Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Who knows, maybe someday Kula onions will surpass pineapples and macadamia nuts as Hawaiian exports. In the meantime, though, I'm not holding my sweet onion breath.

You may think that Hawaiian music is just ukuleles, or maybe you don't think about it at all...well think again, because the "Flavors of Island Music" campaign is here to show you a thing or two. In a commitment to continue the legacy of Hawaii's music, Starwood Hawaii is showcasing various native musicians and entertainers. Whether you're catching some tunes played at a stateside Starwood hotel or one of the many regular live performances at hotels like the Sheraton Waikiki, you can savor the musical diversity of the islands. The only thing missing from this promotion as far as I can tell is a compilation CD available at the gift shops. If you're in the mood for island travel, also be sure to check out the Starwood Hawaii site, which like the Hawaiian islands has a distinct identity of its' own.

In the department of curious but welcome little things, Westin has initiated an early evening chill-out called "Unwind" at several of its properties worldwide. From Kuala Lumpur to Dublin to San Diego, Unwind represents nothing more than a little time set aside for casual relaxation. Typically set in the lounge space or by the pool view, you can sip the night's first cocktail will listening to a Hawaiian hula, live jazz, or some mellow guitar. Some Westins offer a quick complimentary chair massage, or a ceremonial lighting of the night's candles. Unwind isn't an earthshaking amenity, but it does make for a little more motivation to knock off work or step out of your room a little bit earlier.