Annual Mission Houses Museum Holiday Craft Fair

By Caroline Wright

With unique treasures handmade by some of the most accomplished artists and craftsmen in Hawaii, live entertainment from some of the islands’ favorite musicians, and enough ono (delicious) food to feed a small village, the Mission Houses Museum Holiday

Held on the grounds of the historic Kawaiaha?o Church Mission Houses, this family-friendly fair is a local favorite for Christmas shopping for unique and unusual Hawaii-made art and craft items. Expect to see a wide variety of fine art, wood, glass, photography, paper, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, clothing, and quilts.

You can also plan on having tea at Mission Houses Museum Cafe and Tea Parlor, which serves a traditional English tea, with many selections to choose from.

If you’re interested in quilts, you’ll be delighted to find local examples available for sale, and thrilled to learn that the Mission Houses Museum houses a collection of quilts that showcases both Western and Hawaiian quilting traditions, and illustrates the evolution of the art form in Hawaii over the years. Examples include quilts made by the original New England missionary families who settled in Hawaii in the early 1800s, with designs in plain patchwork style, embroidery and appliqué; Hawaiian quilts deeply rooted in local tradition, sewn with intricate plant and floral patterns in bold colors; and modern-day patterns and designs.

The focus of the Mission Houses Museum is on the "missionary period" of Hawaiian history, 1820-1863, and the museum’s collection includes over 3,000 artifacts, most dating from this period, which occupy the three mission houses. One of these, the Frame House, is the oldest wood frame structure in the Hawaiian Islands, shipped ready-to-build around Cape Horn from Boston in 1820. The Printing Office, where some of the earliest books in Hawaii, including some of the first printed in the Hawaiian language, were produced, contains a replica of Hawaii’s first printing press.

After enjoying the fair and the Mission Houses grounds, take a few minutes to cross the street and have a look at the Kawaiahao Church, one of the oldest Christian churches in Hawaii. This National Historic Landmark, the church of Hawaiian royalty in missionary days, has been called the Westminster Abbey of Hawaii. And history buffs should take a few moments to explore the churchyard—it’s the oldest Christian cemetery in Hawaii.

VIDEO 

Craft Fair for Kamehameha Day

http://www.kitv.com/r-video/28206824/detail.html