The andagi line stretched on for what seemed like forever to some, but that didn't stop Cynthia Oshiro from waiting 15 minutes to purchase a dozen of the Okinawan doughnuts.

"Taste good, that's why," she said as she inched closer to the counter. "It's long but it's OK."

The andagi tent drew by far the largest crowd of food seekers at the 24th annual Okinawan Festival at Kapi'olani Park yesterday. The yaki soba tent, with its hungry crowd, was a close second.

Event organizers estimated that nearly 50,000 people were expected during the weekendlong event — residents and visitors alike. From eisa daiko, or Okinawan bon- dance-style taiko, to karate demonstrations to classical Okinawan dancing, there was plenty to see and do at the event organized and run by the 52 member-clubs of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association.

Norman and Debbie Dung of Kane'ohe couldn't help but dress their Pomeranian dog Hokulani in a pink and yellow hapi coat in celebration.

"She's a ham. She loves getting dressed up," Norman Dung said.

Hokulani got the cultural costume as a gift from a friend, he said.

"It seemed appropriate for today."

The couple couldn't walk even a few steps without getting stopped by someone complimenting their dog's traditional outfit.

The Dungs said they were looking forward to watching the entertainment and eating some "good food."

"You have to try the yaki soba," said Debbie Dung.

The Okinawan food selection wasn't limited to andagi and yaki soba, however. There were pig's feet soup; Okinawan soba, or Okinawan-style noodles served in hot soup; champuru, a stir-fried mixture of vegetables and tofu; the Tex-Mex-inspired Okidog, a hot dog wrapped in a soft tortilla; tumai kuru, or purple sweet potato; maki sushi; and the local favorite Andadog, a hot dog on a stick dipped in andagi batter.

About 20,000 people of Okinawan ancestry live in Hawai'i, according to the Hawaii United Okinawa Association. The first Okinawans, also known as Uchinanchu, arrived in Hawai'i from Japan's southernmost prefecture in January 1900. Another wave of immigrants from Okinawa arrived in Hawai'i after World War II.

Pamela Webb, a member of the Oroku Azajin Club, was enjoying the taiko drumming with her 7-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew. Webb, whose mother is half-Okinawan, said the event helps expose younger children to their heritage.

"It's really important that they get to see and experience their culture," she said. "One of the challenges we face is teaching the younger generation about what it is to be Okinawan."

Webb's younger daughter, who recently went off to college in Oregon, takes taiko drum lessons locally and plans to join a group on the Mainland, she said.

"With each new generation, it becomes harder to preserve our culture," she said.

One of the main attractions of the weekend-long event was the Saturday night bon dance, which featured both Okinawan and Japanese dances. Organizers believe the bon dance is one of the biggest to be held each year in the state.

While there was lots to do at the festival, the difficulty of finding parking could have easily deterred people, but it didn't. Parking near the Kapi'olani Bandstand was open only to those with parking permits, so most people, like Cynthia Oshiro, parked at Kapi'olani Community College, where a shuttle would bring people to the park.

"It was actually pretty convenient," she said.

Cheryl and Thomas Kaneshiro Takeuchi attend the Okinawan festival every year.

"It's an annual family event," Cheryl Kaneshiro Takeuchi said. "We come for the cultural aspect."

The couple's 14-month-old son, Skylar, clapped along to the beating of taiko drums in the background.

"We're hoping one day that he'll learn to play," she said.

Kaneshiro Takeuchi is a member of two Okinawan clubs. She said the groups are a great way of keeping in touch with her roots. "They're a way of passing on the traditions," she said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.