WAI'ANAE — An estimated 500 at-risk keiki and their families celebrated the season in a warm and sunny way yesterday at the Keiki Christmas Fest.

The festive tent scene near the entrance of the Wai'anae Boat Harbor was marked by laughter, song, gifts, games, hula dancers, horse rides, contests, Santa Claus, and plenty of local food for everyone.

The event was sponsored free of charge by the Honolulu Community Action Program, a nonprofit agency serving O'ahu's low-income families.

The celebration stood in stark contrast to the same setting one year ago at the program's parking lot when torrential rains transformed a makeshift shanty town for homeless people into a sagging, miserable mudhole.

The rickety village of flimsy dwellings made of tarps strung across wooden pallets and broken-down cars sprang up overnight after authorities swept a population of homeless people from nearby underbrush on September 13, 2004.

For months, the eyesore shanty town remained as a monument to the coast's growing homeless predicament, until authorities forced its removal.

But the return of the annual Keiki Christmas Fest yesterday blunted that memory for most.

Under the big main tent, where dozens sat in the shade and enjoyed the party, volunteer emcee Ed Suka announced one of many contests.

"We have a prize for anyone who can name four of Santa's reindeer," said Suka.

"Blatzer, Dommit, Vomit and Stupid!" Steven Hagmoc, 17, yelled from the sidelines, much to the delight and laughter of his companions.

Not even close.

But Navella Pomisino, 16 — already toting an armload of stuffed teddy bears won by her bean-bag-tossing younger brothers, Jaylen and Jahqez Milare, ages 7 and 6, respectively — stepped up to Suka to give it a try:

"Uh ... Dancer, Donner, Cupid and Nixon," she said.

"Close enough!" announced Suka, and Pomisino scored a T-shirt.

Not far from the ever-popular Cotton Candy Tent, the Grinch Tent also was proving a crowd pleaser.

"This Grinch is very giving," said Sandra Strauch, the Keeper of the Grinch, who directed children to the green meanie, who posed politely for pictures with his two elves and handed out goodies.

Two of the most beloved volunteer workers were Don Basco, a white Arabian horse, and his companion, Kristo, a dark quarter horse.

Throughout the day, a long parade of junior jockeys lined up at the horse ring. The saddles were intended for kids only, but a few lucky moms got horseback rides as carriers of their infants.

"I was having as much fun as he was," said Syria Morris, after she and her son, Devin Brannon- Morris, 16 months, finished a ride. "It's never too late to be a kid."

"This is all for kids," said Seta Ulu, who has been volunteering for the Honolulu Community Action Program for two decades, and who said the effort to put on the Keiki Fest can be almost overwhelming.

"Most of us work so hard volunteering we don't have time to decorate our own Christmas trees at home," she said. "But this is our reward — just seeing the smiles on all the kid's faces."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.