1. april 2016 Alaska beyond Magazine 21
More than 6 million
cans of Spam are
consumed in Hawai‘i
each year. Given the
popularity of the famous
canned meat, it makes
sense that 25,000
people are expected at
the Waikiki Spam Jam
Festival in Honolulu,
April 30. Attendees learn
about Hawai‘i’s history
with Spam, sample
Spam burgers and enjoy
shows at multiple
stages. Alaska Airlines is
a sponsor of the event,
which benefits the
Hawaii Food Bank. Visit
spamjamhawaii.com.
—Kevin Lee-Simion
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Bonsai Reimagined
As a 1990s skate punk, Aarin Packard shredded
parking lots and watched his dad tend bonsai trees in
their backyard. Both experiences led Packard to his
current role as curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum,
15 miles south of Sea-Tac International Airport, where
a first-of-its-kind exhibition, “Decked-Out: From Scroll
to Skateboard,” will run April 30–October 2. Bonsai
trees are traditionally displayed alongside a scroll and
accent object. The three elements evoke a natural
environment or theme. In “Decked-Out,” the scrolls
will be reinterpreted as skateboard decks painted by
14 talented Pacific Northwest street artists, including
Seattle’s Angelina Villalobos (aka “179”), who is
influenced by Mexican folk art and Asian and Native
American lore; and Ryan “Henry” Ward, who is known
for large, whimsical murals. The exhibit will feature
accent plants by Portland bonsai artist Greg Brenden.
“My goal is to show that bonsai can be physical,
creative, exciting, energetic, active—things that skate-
boarding embodies,” says Packard. Call 253-353-7345
or visit pacificbonsaimuseum.org. —Kathryn True
A Festival of Flowers
Singing and dancing with
mariachi bands, dining at
award-winning restaurants,
admiring varieties of locally
grown bugambilia (aka
bougainvillea)—all this and
more will take place at this
year’s Bugambilia Festival,
April 28–May 1.
Flower displays, dance
performances, folklore
presentations and plays
will engage guests during
events at the Arcos del
Malecón (below) through
the weekend. The free-to-
attend festival showcases
the region’s exotic, vibrant
flora at a parade on the
Malecón, where performers
sometimes dress in vivid
costumes, complete with
body paint and hair
decorations. Saturday is
children’s day, with dance,
music and theater perfor-
mances, and workshops.
Visit bugambiliafestival.
com. —Anna Jacobson
top,Courtesy:PacificBonsaiMuseum;bottomleft,Courtesy:AleFloresTino,
Festivaldirector,andBugambiliaFestival
In the “Decked-Out”
exhibition, artistic
skateboard decks will
complement bonsai
arrangements.
The Bugambilia
Festival will feature
local blooms and
performances at the
Arcos del Malecón.
Journal