Let’s get ready to mango! Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider prepares to fete the fruit at a daylong fest

Manic for mangoes? You can relish all things mango, from fresh fruit to cocktails to appetizers, as a historic Honolulu hotel pays homage next month to a popular summer fruit in the islands.

“Mangoes at the Moana� will bring a daylong celebration on July 16 to Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider resort. Most of the activities at the event, now in its eighth year, are free.

The day’s highlight just may be the Mango Throw Down, during which local chefs show off their skills preparing dishes featuring the fruit. Participants include Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant, Ed Kenney and Maggie King of Town and Leanne Wong of Koko Head Cafe.

Admission is free to view the cooking competition between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., but guests who want to sample the various creations can do so using tickets that cost $6 a plate. You can pre-purchase 10 tickets for the price of eight ($48) through July 15.

Cooking demonstrations will also be at noon and 1:30 p.m.

Adults in need of something with which to wash down their food can enjoy mango-themed libations during the Mango Cocktail Mixdown from noon to 2 p.m. Mixologists will be prepare drinks using bourbon, rum and tequila.

The day’s first event will have a state fair feel. The Best Mango Contest at 9 a.m. will host backyard mango growers whose fruit will be judged for best aroma, flavor, flesh and skin.

Guests who want to test their own judging skills can taste and purchase ripe fruit during a market from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mango farmers will share information about their work and their produce.

Individual mangoes can weight as much as 3 pounds, according to the University of Hawaii Extension. The trees, which can grow as tall as 90 feet, bear fruit between June and September.

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