Waikiki Spam Jam May 3, 2008

The Sixth Annual Waikiki SPAM JAM is set for the first Saturday in May; May 3, 2008, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, Honolulu, HI.

Are you a SPAM jammer? Do you like SPAM so much you’d consider trying it in just about any form? Well, consider SPAM Katsu, SPAM Won Ton, SPAM Pan Lau Lau, SPAM ...........

Creative and enhanced recipes such as those, prepared by some of Hawaii’s most innovative chefs, will be available at this year’s Waikiki SPAM JAM.

More SPAM is consumed per person in Hawaii than is consumed in any other state in the United States. Almost seven million cans of SPAM are eaten every year in Hawaii. That has proved to be cause for celebration. Each place in the world seems to have its signature food festival; the annual Waikiki SPAM JAM has become a cultural tradition, quickly becoming one of the most popular festivals in Hawaii.

Admission to the event is free; entertainment is free. Kalakaua Avenue will be closed to car traffic for the event, and two entertainment stages will be set up on the street. Between the stages, a dozen restaurants will be serving SPAM in many different ways, so attendees can experience the enormous variety of its applications.

Here are the participating restaurants:

3 Star Catering
Coconut Willie's
Giovani's Pastrami
Gordon Biersch
K's
Leo's Taverna
Mac 24-7
Simply Ono
The Shack (Waikiki)
Time 2 Grind

Booths will have been set up by volunteers to help collect donations of SPAM for the Hawaii Food Bank. Organizers hope to collect 10,000 cans of SPAM for the Hawaii Foodbank at the Waikiki SPAM JAM.

The Hawaii Foodbank is the only nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency in the state of Hawaii that collects, warehouses, and distributes mass quantities of both perishable and non-perishable food to 250 member agencies as well as food banks on the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. The Hawaii Foodbank forms a vital link between the food donors and its member agencies by providing services in collecting, sorting, salvaging, and distributing food. The Hawaii Foodbank also supports its member agencies through financial and educational assistance. The Waikiki SPAM JAM has garnered over 10,000 pounds of SPAM for the Hawaii Foodbank since its inception in 2002.

Official Website: http://spamjamhawaii.com/