Record Setting Keiki and Teen Fest

Photo by Jack Kiyonaga

There was fun for youth of all ages last Saturday as Molokai celebrated Keiki and Teen Fest, put on by the Molokai Community Action Team. This year’s event featured a record number of booths and pre-registered participants.

The event is held in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, explained Tylor Tanaka, one of the event organizers.

“Keiki Fest is a place where we can foster that connection with the families,” said Tanaka.

Photo by Jack Kiyonaga

Tanaka explained that the Community Action Team uses games and booths to teach kids and parents about child abuse prevention resources, rather than just pass out a flyer.

The vendors this year included organizations both from Molokai and off-island, ranging from Tutu and Me to Kamehameha Schools. This year added 10 new vendors for the daylong event, which takes about six months to plan.

Keiki and Teen Fest “is at an all-time high,” explained Tanaka. Keiki Fest started back in 2016, with Teen Fest following a couple of years later. While the morning’s Keiki Fest is aimed at families, Teen Fest later in the day is intended just for the teenagers, providing them a space to explore resources on their own.

Molokai community members were able to enjoy the games, music and booths for free thanks to support from both grants and private sector partners.