After a 20-year absence, the Mililani High School Carnival returns to the community!…read more 2015 dates: Feb 20, 2015 Friday from 3 PM to 11 PM Feb 21, 2015 Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM Feb 22, 2015 Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM PARKING is to be found along the side streets or you can pay $5 at Mililani Waena Elementary for parking. Ride tickets = one coupon $1.50 or a book of ten for $15.00 RIDES by EK Fernandez = there's a mix of rides for the tiny tots to the Screaming Fire Ball - the 360 degree roller-coaster where you go around in circles upside down and hope the Funnel Cake you ate doesn't come flopping out of your gut onto your face. Kiddie rides include the carousel, Magic Maze (hall of mirrors and a slide), Crazy Plane, Helicopter, Super Slide and the speedway (fixed rail car buggys). Other rides for tweens/adults and daring kids include the Zipper, Area 51 UFO ride thing (a slow human centrifuge), the ferris wheel, the jungle twist (like a teacup zippy ride in a car-shaped cart), Pharoah's Fury (like the Pirate ship ride, goes back and forth like a crazy banana) and the Fire Ball! Kiddie Rides are 2 coupons. Pharoah's Fury, Jungle Twist and Ferris Wheel are 3 coupons. Zipper, Area 51 and Fireball are 4 coupon rides. Bathrooms = you can use the high school toilets (unless locked) or the luxury porta-potty trailer. Sinks are outside of the trailer. FOOD = Not sure how much food scripts cost, but Beef Stew and rice with mac salad is 10 scripts. Some booths take cash, some scripts. Funnel cake $6, Cotton candy bag $6, Cotton candy $3, Candy apple $3, hot dog $3, corn dog $3, whole pepperoni pizza $28, pizza slice $3. Variety of soft drinks, Icee. GAMES = Your typical carnival fare, i.e. dull darts aiming at somewhat deflated week-old balloons; knock over milk cans. Aim gun ball at cans on a pedestal; shoot water gun at target to win florescent squid hats. The only game we "won" at was the fishing for a turtle in a turtle-pond-game for $5 - guaranteed to win a large nubby rubber ball or a plastic helicopter you assemble yourself - no time limit. Great for people who want to win something and not shell out $30 to win a stuffed animal. WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER = a White Elephant or Garage sale type event in the cafeteria including plant sales. If I'm going to waste money, I'd rather buy other people's junk and I guarantee the school would make tons money off of other's donations. RETURN FACTOR = yes. It's a small carnival but the money goes to the Mililani Trojans so its for a good cause.

The sky was gloomy with a light drizzle, but it didn't stop the crowd from showing up to the annual…read moreMililani High School Carnival this past weekend. It seemed very well organized. There was ample parking on campus for a $5.00 fee or drivers could take their chances finding street parking nearby. The uniformed military personnel and students at the gates were very polite, respectful and helpful in providing directions upon arrival. Next, the layout of the event was sectioned off well. As families entered, I noticed the childrens' eyes fill up with excitement as they ran in towards the carnival rides pulling their parents' arms encouraging them to hurry-- my daughter included. Coupon booths were strategically placed in all of the right places for customer convenience. The rides were separated for the "big kids," then a little further in, on the left, the little ones could enter "Keiki Land" for their rides. Ride coupons cost $15.00 for a sheet of 10 scripts and $1.50 for individual tickets. Most rides were 3-4 scripts by the big kid section and 2 scripts in Keiki Land. Directly across Keiki Land, were booths from HPD, where parents could sign their kids up for a free photo ID (fingerprint included), and The U.S. Vets, where the children could pet a few service dogs while they waited for their IDs to print. Other booths included a place where kids could get temporary tattoos ranging from 4 scripts to 14 scripts depending on the design choosen. Again, script booths were strategically placed for customer convenience. Adjacent to those specialty booths was the dining area and food booths. There was a variety of options to choose from, such as Tacos in a Bag, Filipino plate lunches (the pork belly is roasted right in front of you), as well as desserts like shave ice and ice cream. All seemed like popular choices judging by the formation of the lines in front of each booth. Then, inside the cafeteria were even more booths, such as the official photo booth for the event, which cost 8 scripts for one sitting. Going back outside, you'd find the carnival games and circle back to the "big kid" rides again. Overall, this event was a very well thought-out, well-planned and well-executed event. At the end of the day, my daughter told us that she had a lot of fun and the 4-star rating was actually hers, which I thought would be appropriate to ask her for her opinion being that this was a family event geared toward kids.

If there's anything that I need for a Filipino dish, I'm pretty sure Festival has it. Looking for…read moreTupig? They got it. Need Ilocos Empanada? Get there early because when I visited, they sold out. They've got some real fresh seafood, beautiful and plentiful. The food court area has anything you'd imagine for a quick lunch and their desserts from every vendor was delicious. I was able to get all the veggies, protein, and sauces in one place and each vendor was so friendly and helpful. Parking is kind of tough 'cause the days that get busy, I've found myself parked down the street. Otherwise, the whole area is clean, open spaced, and easy to find anything you'd need.

Limited parking. Great selection of fresh vegetables. Freshly made food. Clean restrooms. No…read moreshopping carts.

A good place to visit when you can't decide on what to eat. A lot of different vendors to choose…read morefrom. There are also craft vendors out selling their goods

The vendors are great! The food is fresh and amazing! They have live entertainment, places to sit,…read morekeiki activities, local clothes etc. Shuttle buses are available from different parts of Mililani. Also, parking in the neighborhood is available although it might be a little walk (5-10min). Overall, I'm very satisfied and cannot wait for the next one in Mililani!

All Vendors are hand picked and "invited" to participate in this craft fair. Shop in air…read moreconditioned comfort. Take a detour from the west bound traffic shop and have dinner. Lots of Tsum Tsum items, gifts baskets, t-shirts, blankets, HECO Cookbook and so much more!

I almost dont want to write this review because this is a really great event and at the moment it…read moreis not super extremely crowded but I think it deserves MANY stars. My family hasn't pounded mochi in about 35 years and I wanted to have my daughter experience it. I wasn't really expecting much from this event. My friend invited us to go to it and I was hesitant but somewhat excited to go since it has been a while since I saw or pounded mochi. Met my sister and her family and decided that we would pound together. 10 dollars and about a 2 hour wait (eating ono food and looking at the open market) later we were pounding mochi. It was pretty amazing to have that many people able to pound mochi (100 families). And it went pretty smoothly too. There was about 5 usu going at the same time and it was a sight to see. From smashing the rice all the way to pounding and shaping the balls (haha), it was really amazing. I would say go early, before the 9am opening. But wait, like all YELP reviews I gotta talk about the food! Yaki Mochi - 2$ (yes, 2 dollars) - big piece of mochi and nori! WIN! Sweet Red Bean Mochi - 2$ - again, lots of sweet red azuki beans and huge mochi! WIN again Oden - 5$ - 3 piece soft beef, egg, 3 daikon, konyakku, etc... oh man, this one was a super win. Chicken Yakitori - 2 for 5$ - my daughter inhaled them and loved it. Must have been good. There was also other food choices that I didn't try but all of the things we tried were GREAT! Bathrooms were plentiful and the parking on the grass was availiable. Pounding the mochi with my family really was a bonding experience. I loved it and it really brought me back to a simpler time of family, friends, and togetherness. LOTS and LOTS of props to the Honbushin Church for offeing this to the public. I will be coming back every year if at all possible. Hope to see you all there! Ok, wait, not ALL of you. haha! Happy NEW Year!

Who would have thought that this church was all the way nestled up in the hills of Mililani! Their…read moreannual New Years Mochitsuki festival had so much to do! They have family mochi pounding, a farmers market, cotton candy, home made fruit drinks fresh from their garden, and great music! although the selection of food is not very big, you don't need to have a big selection when everything tastes so great! The home made Oden was unlike any other oden i've eaten and it was probably my favorite one i've had. The Tonjiru (pork based soup with veggies) was full of flavor and this was my kids' personal favorite. The fresh mochi was super soft and came with a variety of flavors like Yaki (shoyu with nori), azuki, kinako (peanut powder), or peanut butter and honey. But the best thing about this event is the family mochi pounding! If you dont get here early though the spots can fill up quickly. But it was great to have my kids try pounding their own fresh mochi from scratch. They all had a lot of fun and we will definitely make this an annual tradition!

This is my favorite farmers market. Let me start by saying it helps to know the prices of your…read moreproduce but if not I find most of the vendors to have their produce at a reasonable price and a great value considering how fresh it is. My favorite vendor is PIT FARMS for their bananas (both apple and ice cream varieties), salad mixes, and romaine lettuce. And not far behind is SMALL KINE FARMS (who is usually there the second and fourth Sunday of the month) for their baby portobello mushrooms. The workers at both booths are friendly and very helpful in answering any questions that you might have. There are several HANDICAP PARKING stalls near the entrance to the market.

This place is great! Small but great! All the vender were nice and service was fast and kind. I got…read moresome really good sweet pineapples, dragon fruits, and sourdough bread. Parking was easy too so that's a plus! Definitely would go back!

Crowded but a popular place to purchase food as well as crafts/jewelry from local artisans. There…read moreis not a lot of parking so be prepared to walk.

They need to have all this at the Okinawan Festival…read more.. What a show of love at this craft fair as there are so many vendors majority are all handmade items uniquely their own you know is made with pride, many are the same located at the same spot there are a few different ones at times but I do love it as they do try their best to welcome everyone. Parking is insanely limited so it can be difficult but they do try their very best to accommodate as the staff are so graciously on top of anyone that leaves to make room for anyone searching for parking. On this visit was a challenge and was so sad to see both lots was full and with that overhead that the staff had moved their own car to another location to make room for the shoppers and that there was shuttle service provided by two taxis to take us to the Okinawa Center so we didn't need to walk...how amazing is that! Because they didn't use the lot like in the past it was really crammed inside filled to a point that it was difficult to pass one someone stopped to shop but everyone did shop and I was thrilled to find a few items making it so worth the effort to support and shop small and local. Thank you! side note...I was so thrilled to find parking I left my phone in the car...no pics!

Last year, this obon was my favorite. Good food, good dancing, good friends. This year we got there…read moreearly with a bunch of friends. Set up our chairs and waited for the obon to start. After being told that we were ok where we were, by the emcee, we were told by a heavy-set woman that we might have to move because they weren't sure where the taiko performance was going to be, "but we're not sure so just sit there and relax". I said no, we'd move now, before the place filled up and we didn't have space to sit together. The lady said over there in from the the benches is fine. So we move where she told us to go. Maybe 15 minutes later a man comes by and angrily tells my son you cannot sit here!!! My son says oh this lady told us to move here. So the man gruffly walks over to the lady to tell her that we cannot sit there. My son follows to hear if we have to move, and that woman flat out denies that she told us we could move there! So RUDE and unorganized!!!!!! We had to move again. And it put a slight damper on the night! Next year we'll choose a different obon to go to besides this one! Three stars are for the food and good company.

I EAT to live and I LIVE to eat. I have been to several…read moreEat the Street events in town so I was familiar with the long lines, disappointment of not getting what you want, and the crazy parking. My family and I arrived at the event at 3pm. We attended the March 17 event. There were 4 event parking and tour buses (nice/comfy seats & air condition) to shuttle peeps to and back . So parking was a cinch. The event was held at Mililani Mauka Rec 7 and extended over to Mililani Ike parking lot. TIPS for the Next ETS (Eat the Street) at Mililani 1) BEFORE YOU GO! Check out street grindz website to see what food truck will be there and all the other important info for the event: http://www.streetgrindz.com/eatthestreet/ets-mililani/ ***STRATEGIZE...Look up the site on what trucks you wanna hit up 1st.**** 2) Bring along the presidents and the rest of the paper crew. There was an ATM smack in the middle of the event but save that extra fee to buy an ice pop :) Some trucks take credit cards but most take the cash money honey. 3) EXPECT to stand in a line & WAIT some more! You stand in a line to get your food and then you wait for your food to be cooked. -----Eat the food that you just got while your standing in line for the next food truck your gonna hit up. 4) Be ready for your heart to be broken SEVERAL times. Have a plan B, plan C, and don't have a fit if that don't work out. I know your hungry and the strongest of men turn into whinny babies if they don't fill those tummies. But it happened to me again. Stood in line for 10 minutes for Fried Musubi and bam the sold out sign went on the food item I was eying out. Then my tummy went from fried craving too uh salad. Then, ARRGGGHHH, 2 people away the lady from Cooking Fresh For You takes it away the salad indicating it's sold out. 5) Bring an Umbrella I read about the blazing heat from the 1st ETS at Mililani, but this time around was the peek-a-boo showers of rain. 6) Fully Charged Cell To regroup with the peeps you are with and to Yelp, Facebook, and to play Draw Something on your iphone with that 12 year old kid right next to you. Trucks that I actually got to eat at: 1) 1st stop FAIRY CAKES to satisfy any sweet tooth lover Shamrock Cookie ($4), Gooey Bar ($4) My favorite item from them but a couple peeps have told me it's too sweet for their taste. It's a chocolate chip cookie, Mint Cupcake, and Lime Bar. My son ate the Shamrock and I ate the rest. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=d6tvt8RBGILGRM4wFZ80PQ 2) Extreme Tacos fairy cakes sister :) Got the spicy beef soft taco, pulled pork soft taco, and deep fried chicken burrito. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=Qm-z2eKog0nQP8BQAeGfvQ 3) Local Stop (Known for the MALASADA BURGER) Got the Original and the Kamehameha. If you check in you'll get 2 bucks off your order! Original: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=fttKwWWBVWRdpSQqXEnc7g Kamehameha ($9 but it hit the spot) A malasada, topped with kalua pig, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, fresh lettuce, and tomato. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=j6oztPvaA5jDNaUj9t-tIA 4) Aloha Ice cream Tricycle Pic of her tricycle http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg/your_photos My son and I shared the Li hing Mui Pineapple and the chocolate flavor. Both were fantastic. Yes, it was raining and I still wanted those tasty ice pops. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=UHZ3QxGVYVyNU3KqAT6Zmg 5)Tiki Taco This was my plan C. After A and B deflated right before my eyes. I was quite pleased with it. I love pita bread I could it plain, dipped in something or the way Tiki Taco served it up chock full of steak, fresh veggies, and yummy sauce. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=bHLq9rdAPipuNSoTf04vKQ 6) Hawaiian Waffle Dog Company Where is the pic? My sons engulfed them before I could take one : / Their little tummies couldn't wait. So they give their approving two thumbs up. 7) YELP Tent! The must stop at any ETS event :) You'll get some cool Yelp Swag. Information about what Yelp is all about. Meet some cool Yelpers. Sign up for the Yelp newsletter and you'll get an email once a week about great business in Hawaii and events that are happening. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LrDcPkodYab1f4isNF0aZg?select=LTfh3Dv4EoHCDXZaDsF7TQ This is actually one of the best ETS I have attended. Why? a) Covered indoor seating -plus several areas to eat (3 total) b) Lines not to bad c) Decent Restrooms d) Plenty of parking e) Air conditioned shuttles Outstanding Job Street Grindz I will be back to Mililani again for ETS! Can't wait for the Kapolei ETS : D

I was really excited when I heard they were having an Eat the Street in Mililani. I grew up in…read moreMililani and Mililani Mauka for most of my life, so I already knew that Eat the Streets would do very well here. That said, I already knew it was going to be extremely crowded. When people complain about it being crowded, you have to remember that this isn't Honolulu. I feel like a lot more people are likely to come to Mililani because the regular Eat the Street in Kakaako is in town on a Friday afternoon (think major rush hour traffic). An Eat the Street in Mililani on a Saturday with no traffic going into Mililani is going to be a huge deal as it is a lot more accessible to the foodies on this side of the island. We got there about 2 PM. Found parking about 2 blocks up from the event. The free parking at Mililani Ike was already full by 2 PM. This is in a residential area, so we already expected to have to park on the street. People complaining about parking are being a little ridiculous, because they probably should have done some research about the location and it's a general rule to always arrive early if you want good parking. The venue was at the Rec Center 7. This could have been improved on. I do feel the rec center parking lot is too small for an event of this size. The lines were kind of hard to discern from other lines, and there wasn't a lot of moving room. I feel like there were better venues they could have chosen if they wanted an Eat the Street outside of town. Perhaps Kapolei? Since we got there right at 2 PM, we went immediately to the Local Stop wagon for the famous malasada burger. $9 for a bacon malasada burger? A bit pricey, but we were willing to pay to try it. I didn't personally order it, but the general consensus was that it was delicious! The line here was already quite long at 2 PM, and we had to wait about 10 minutes to order and then another 15 minutes to get the order. Our next stop was to the "Bacon wrapped hot dog" stand (I don't know the real name of the place). The bacon wrapped hot dog and gourmet slider topped with guacamole, garlic aioli, mushrooms, and onions was really tasty. The hot dog and the slider was $6. Once again, a bit pricey, but I enjoyed it. The wait in line here was about 10 minutes and they served the food immediately. Paul's Poppers was the one I really wanted to try. We ordered the mac and cheese, pepperoni pizza, and spinach and artichoke filled poppers (stuffed won tons). The won ton wrappers were surprisingly thick and they were perfectly fried. My favorite flavor was the mac and cheese. :) 6 for $5. Waited in line for 15 minutes here and got the order immediately. My last stop for the day was Lickety Split for a pineapple shake. This was just alright, but unfortunately they use soft serve and I prefer real ice cream. I wanted to make Fairy Cakes my last stop before we left to try their famous whoopie pies. I didn't want to get them too early because I didn't want them to melt or get spoiled, but unfortunately, by the time we left at around 5 they had pretty much sold out of ALL of their good items. I was pretty disappointed, but that was my fault for waiting so long to go there. Overall, I had a good experience. People complaining about the crowds should have expected the crowds. My main issue was just that they should pick a larger venue next time--perhaps one with more shade or more decent sitting areas/tables. I know Soul Patrol and Elena's are other popular choices, but I attend and dorm at UH Manoa and Soul Patrol is down the street. My house is in Ewa Beach, which is a close drive to Elena's so I can get those any time... The event does get pretty pricey, and like another reviewer said, I wish they offered smaller sample portions for cheaper prices of $2-4. That way the wait is shorter and people can try more trucks. It's hard to order a huge plate from one truck and then visit 6 more trucks (it's both expensive and you get full too fast).

I've been coming here for a few years before the pandemic and it's one my mom and I's favorite…read moreholiday things to do. We don't have to drive far to see Christmas decorations and we can sit on the side walk to watch and enjoy! I'm really glad they came back this year! There's many houses that have decorations in their cul-de-sac on Anapau Pl. It's really nice and enjoyable to see them all. I can't believe all the hard work they put in to set everything up because they enjoy it and they know we all enjoy it. Their show hours are 7-9:30pm and each show lasts about 45 mins with a few mins in between. I wish I remembered how many songs were played but I lost count. It really is enjoyable and I hope everyones gets to experience it at least once! :)

B-E-A-utiful...It takes great neighbors to make this a festive holiday event~FuN Times!read more