ALOHA FESTIVAL 2008 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Q:
What is the Aloha Festival?
A:
The Aloha Festival is a two-day ethnic arts festival celebrating Pacific
Islander culture. This is one of the largest gatherings of Pacific Islanders on
the U.S. mainland. Each year thousands of islanders and islanders-at-heart
gather to celebrate the culture through music, dance, arts and crafts, authentic
food, and educational workshops.
Q:
When and where?
A:
August 2-3, 2008 (Saturday & Sunday), 10:00am – 5:00pm, San
Francisco Presidio, Parade Grounds, at the corner of Lincoln Blvd and Graham St.
Once on the Presidio Grounds, follow signs directing you to the Visitor's Center
or Main Post to find us.
Q:
How to I get there?
A:
Click on www.pica-org.org/AlohaFest/af_directions.html
for driving and bus directions.
Q:
Is there a charge for admission?
A:
No, Aloha Festival still has a free admission policy! We do this to
keep our event affordable for families, many of whom already find the high cost
of living in the Bay Area quite daunting. We are doing our best not to add
to that burden.
Q:
Where do I park?
A:
There is a large parking lot directly adjacent to the festival site,
where paid parking is available (fee to be determined); an extra charge applies if your vehicle uses
more than one slot. There's also no re-entrance allowance, which means if
you leave and come back, you have to pay again. There is overflow parking
down the hill within walking distance.
Q:
How do I find out who is performing and what workshops are happening?
Help, I lost my kid, my wallet, my friend!
A:
Go the Information Booth, located in the large booth directly facing the
Main Stage for assistance or to buy a festival program. We also post
vendor, entertainer, and workshop information as we get closer to the event and
confirm schedules. For the finalized performance list and biographies on
each group, you can buy a souvenir
festival program at the Information Booth.
Q:
Do I need to sign up to take a workshop? Is there a cost?
A:
No signup is necessary and all workshops are free – people are welcome
to participate on a first-come, first-served basis. A few of the workshops are
music-oriented, so bring your own `ukulele and sing and play along! A schedule of
workshops will be available in the souvenir festival program, and you may also
inquire at the Information Booth.
Q:
Where can I buy a raffle ticket?
A:
At the Information Booth.
Q:
Is alcohol served or allowed at Aloha Festival?
A:
No. The Aloha Festival is renowned for its laid-back environment that
welcomes multi-generational family and friends, from keiki (young
children) to kupuna (elders) and everyone in-between. To preserve the
festival’s appeal for all ages and remain within our contract agreement, alcohol is not served and not allowed on the
grounds. So please help keep our festival safe by not bringing any
alcohol. Mahalo!
Q:
What is the set-up for viewing the entertainment? Can I bring my own lawn
chair and blanket?
A:
Entertainment is presented at the Main Stages, and seating is picnic style
on the ground on the large grassy area in front the stage. Since the festival
does not provide any seating in front of the stage, you are welcome to bring
your own flat (no legs), low-back lawn chairs and blankets. However, we ask
that you participate in the spirit of aloha during the event by taking
care not to block others' views, to take only the space you need, and to kokua
(help) by keeping the pedestrian walkways clear.
Q:
Where is the nearest ATM machine?
A:
The food vendors and many of the arts and crafts vendors take only cash
and there is lots of good stuff to buy! The nearest ATM machines are located 1)
in the Presidio Bowling Center, near the corner of Sheridan Avenue and
Montgomery Street, about a block past the last food booth, and 2) (at least in
2007) at the First
Republic Bank branch, Bldg 210 (directly across Lincoln Blvd from the main
parking lot). For security reasons, you may need to swipe your ATM card at the
First Republic Bank door in order to enter.
Q:
Is there a place I can sit and eat lunch?
A:
After you pick up your plate lunch (saimin, lau lau, kalua pig, chicken
teriyaki, loco moco, whatever!), you’re welcome to sit at the tables and chairs
in the Pavilion Tent located near the food booths.
The lawns next to the Pavilion Tent are also available as eating areas.
Sorry, the lawns in front of buildings 38 and 39 are off-limits.
Q: What is the
Ohana Korner?
A: The Ohana Korner is an area for families and their children (ages 2-12). There will be
games and prizes for the keiki (kids) to win, temporary tattoos,
decorative nail painting, and a crafts area. There is a nominal charge for
the games. Please note that keiki’s must be accompanied by an adult at
all times.
Q:
Can I bring a pet?
A:
While it's true there have been pets at the San Francisco Aloha Festival
in the past, PICA now stops it for these reasons:
-- Some pets have demonstrated aggressive behavior toward people and seeing-eye dogs (which are allowed onsite by law).
-- Some pets have actually bitten people or gotten in fights with other pets.
-- Pets can behave unpredictably when surrounded by crowds of people they do not know. Aloha Festival can get extremely crowded at times and is always packed in the grassy vendor area. If a child or adult is injured by a pet, regardless of the reason, the pet owner could easily face serious liability.
-- Some owners are not watching their pets carefully and not picking up after them.
Some of these issues present a danger to the public. PICA loves pets too, but we need to keep the San Francisco Aloha Festival a safe family event for everyone. While not all pets fall into the categories above, we do not have the luxury of choosing some over others, nor is it possible for us to screen each one. Therefore, we are asking all attendees to leave their pets at home.
Note that since Aloha Festival is celebrated on open grounds, some people who are not aware of our policy and who happen to be walking by may decide to enter the event with their pets. Security personnel will ask that those pets be removed from the premises in those cases.
Q:
Handicap access?
A:
There are a number of handicap parking spaces provided in the parking lot
directly adjacent to the festival site. We recommend coming early since these
spots tend to fill up early. All the food booths are on pavement for easy
wheelchair access. All the arts and crafts booths as well as the main stage are
on grass. There are wheelchair ramps in all areas, but the grass can be uneven
in many locations.
Q:
Why am I being asked for a donation?
A:
The Aloha Festival is brought to you by the Pacific Islanders’ Cultural
Association, an all-volunteer, nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the
Pacific Islander culture in the Bay Area. Everyone associated with the festival
– organizers, entertainers, and workshop presenters, generously donates their
time and talent to make this community event happen. Instead of charging
admission, we ask for donations or that you purchase drinks at our beverage
booth to help defray the cost
of mounting the festival each year. Mahalo!
If you have other items you think we should add to this FAQ, please email us suggestions at info@pica-org.org. Mahalo!
Last revised 2/10/2008