Community festivals with children’s games, music, food and multicultural dances are scheduled for this month to celebrate the 24th annual Maui Matsuri, honoring Japanese ancestors and cultural heritage.

“The Maui Matsuri has been a special event for many years for our community, and we’re excited as this is the Year of the Fire Horse,” said Justin Yanagida, president of the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui. “Our hope is that this event not only perpetuates Japanese culture but also that everyone who attends has a good time.”

The first event will be a children’s festival from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Pilina Building at the University of Hawaii Maui College. It will feature free multi-cultural entertainment, children’s crafts, hand-on activities and a robotics playground. Also, winners from the art contest will be announced while their entries are exhibited in the Ben Franklin storefront. All other entries will be displayed in the first-floor storefront adjacent to Macy’s Mens.

The festival will also recognize scholarship winners and vocational projects by students.

On May 23, the Japanese Festival will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. at the University of Hawaii Maui College, featuring live entertainment, including Senshu Miyabi Taiko from Osaka Japan, MikAns from Oahu blending traditional and contemporary Japanese music, three local taiko groups, classical and folk Japanese dancing, as well as the popular Saimin and Natto Eating Contest.

Keoni Manuel of the Oni Foundation said there will also be Hawaiian hula performances as well as dances from Mexico, China, the Philippines and Korea, in a showcase of the rich diversity in Hawaii.

“That makes Hawaii what it is today,” he said.

Other activities and event offerings include food trucks and booths, a free Kids Corner with lots of activities and games and 28 craft booths. The event will also have an esports competition in the Pilina eSports Lounge.

The festival is offering 500 gifts from Japan on a first-come, first served basis.

Starting at 7:30 p.m., an interfaith prayer will take place to honor ancestors of all ethnicities, followed by an Obon dance.

Maui Matsuri is produced by a team of volunteers led by co-chairs Kay Fukumoto, Tiffany Iida and Jennifer Sumida.

The festival is presented by the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui and supported in part by the Maui County Office of Economic Development. Other major sponsors are Island Honda, IBEW Local 1186, UH Maui College, Hawaii Tourism Authority and Maui Taiko.

For more information, go to mauimatsuri.com, follow @mauimatsuri on social media or call (808) 283-9999.