The tiniest bonsai trees attracted the attention of Deija-Lyn Kaneaiakala yesterday at the 23rd Annual Okinawan Festival in Kapi'olani Park.

"Look at them," the 8-year-old Pearl City girl said to her grandmother, Lorna Taketa, as the two visited the cultural activities tent. "You could barely fit a teaspoon of dirt in there."

Kaneaiakala and Taketa were among the nearly 50,000 people expected to attend the popular festival, which continues in the park today from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Taketa said her favorite part of the festival was, without question, the Okinawan food, but Kaneaiakala said she was pretty impressed with the games available for children.

"I won this at the dunk tank," she said, holding up a stuffed poodle in a pink cape. "I picked it because it looked nice. The clowns creeped me out."

Hundreds gathered around the bandstand yesterday to watch dancing, drumming and other cultural performances, and people sat in the grass beyond the bandstand, watching martial artists drill.

Deja Sanderson, 9, and her siblings, Dathaniel, 6, and Dominique, 12, made bookmarks and learned Okinawan words at a table run by an Okinawan language class, learning that "mensore" means welcome and "nihe debiru" means thank you.

Deja said she enjoyed the cultural experiences at the festival. She said she also liked the food.

Daniel Kodama of Kalihi stood within hearing distance of the music, but his eyes were on a couple of pieces of calligraphy he'd just bought inside the cultural tent.

"My grandmother's maiden name," he said. "And this one is my mother's."

He'd visited the genealogical table, too, he said, and found more information about his family. He hopes to eventually uncover a graphic representation of his family's history, an Okinawan family crest.

"I want to get a tattoo," he said.

Kodama comes to the festival every year. The primary draw?

"The food is awesome," he said.

Kodama liked the shoyu pork with champuru — a stir-fried vegetable and tofu dish.

Dean Sugiyama of Pearl City was eating an Okidog — a hot dog, pork and chili wrapped in a soft tortilla.

"Okinawan Taco Bell," he said.

John Toma of Honolulu stood in a very long line to get three deep-fried Okinawan donuts.

"Andagi," he said. "That is the reason I come here — for the andagi."

Reach Karen Blakeman at kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.