This weekend’s “I Love Kailua” Town Party celebrates Windward Oahu’s easygoing vibe

There’s plenty to love about Windward Oahu’s Kailua town. From the shoreline of its sugar-white beaches (pictured, below) you can paddle a kayak in gentle waters to the nearby Mokulua Islands, which serve as a seabird sanctuary. On breezy days you can see wind surfers twisting above the waves in Kailua Bay. And after working up an appetite, you can find eateries serving up anything from a breakfast of macadamia nut pancakes to a dinner featuring fish fresh from Hawaiian waters.

For these reasons and others, the outdoorsy, easygoing beach town-suburb will hold its 21st annual “I Love Kailua” Town Party this Sunday (April 28), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle, a nonprofit founded in 1948 to keep Kailua and Lanikai clean, green and beautiful through landscaping and maintenance projects in area public parks and along roadsides.

The town party will feature its annual A Taste of Kailua food booths, with dozens of eateries and area restaurants serving up treats ranging from fresh malasadas to crepes and curry dishes. Entertainment will spotlight from live Hawaiian music and hula as well as performances of the Pacific Fleet Band and the Army Jazz Band. In addition, artwork and crafts created by more than 50 Windward artists and handcrafters will be for sale. There will also be plants and orchid displays and sales.

Partygoers are encouraged to walk or bicycle to the event, which will be staged along Kailua Road’s shopping and restaurant area. In past years, the party has drawn crowds of up to 10,000 people. All traffic lanes and sidewalk areas along Kailua Road, from Hahani Street to Kuulei Road, will be closed.

More information about the party and the Outdoor Circle, click here.