Big Island
Kamehameha Festival
June 11, 2009
This festival features features a ho‘olaule‘a with top Hawaii recording artists, hula halau, and various cultural presentations. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Moku Ola (Coconut Island) in Hilo. Free. A drug, alcohol and smoke-free event. For information contact Pua at (808) 989-4844 or visit www.kamehamehafestival.org
King Kamehameha Day Celebration
June 11, 2009
Come to the northern tip of the Big Island to honor the legendary Hawaiian king in his North Kohala birthplace. A day long cultural festival with floral parade, ceremony draping the King’s statue in lei, hula, food booths and musical performances mark this special day. 8 a.m – 4 p.m. in Kapaau and Hawi. Call (808) 884-5840 or 895-3168.
King Kamehameha Day Parade
June 13, 2009-06-12
A beautiful floral parade through the heart of Kailua-Kona honoring the great Hawaiian monarch. Featuring Hawaiian-themed entries, including pa‘u riders representing all the Hawaiian Islands, bands, hula and community groups. Also food booths, crafts and much more. Parade starts at 9 a.m. in Kailua Village. Call (808) 333-0045 or visit www.paieakamehameha.org.
Na Mea Hawaii Hula Kahiko
June 20, 2009
Volcano Village Hula Event.
See traditional hula and chant performed outdoors on the hula platform overlooking Kilauea Crater, featuring Halau Na Pua o Uluhaimalama, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Hawaiian crafts demonstrations at Volcano Art Center Gallery 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Free (Park entry fees apply). Call (808) 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org
Puuhonua o Honaunau Annual Cultural Festival
June 27-28, 2009
This enjoyable and educational festival is held in Kona at Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, perhaps the premier spot in the state to learn about ancient Hawaiian culture. Demonstrations of – and participation in – numerous Hawaiian arts and lifestyle activities, including net fishing, weaving, food preparation, and much more. 9 a.m – 3 p.m. Call (808) 328-2326, ext. 32 or visit www.nps.gov/puho.
Annual Parker Ranch Rodeo
July 3, 2009
This award-winning Independence Day weekend tradition includes action-packed rodeo events, keiki (children) activities, delicious food and more. Parker Ranch paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) are joined by other Big Island paniolo for a corral of traditional rodeo events from 9 a.m. – noon at the Parker Ranch Arena in Waimea. Call (808) 885-5669 or visit www.parkerranch.com.
Hawaii Volcanoes Cultural Festival
July 11, 2009
Held in the special setting of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this popular annual festival helps preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and traditional arts. Featuring Hawaiian music, hula, crafts sales and demonstrations by local artists and practitioners. 10 a.m – 3 p.m. Free. For more information call (808) 985-6166 or visit www.nps.gov/havo.
Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival
July 18-19, 2009
Enjoy authentic Hawaiian music – including ukulele, slack key and steel guitar – and falsetto singing at this two-day event at featuring artists from around Hawaii. At Hilo Bayfront Park from noon – 6 p.m. each day. Sponsored by the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center. Call (808) 935-9085 or visit www.ehcc.org for more information.
Mango Festival
August 1, 2009
Exotic, luscious, sweet, and juicy – all these words and more have been used to describe the delicious mango. Ranked among the most widely produced and consumed fruits in the world, mango takes center stage on Saturday, August 1, at the first annual Mango Festival 2009 held on Hawaii’s Big Island. Mango Festival 2009 celebrates all things mango with a day filled with events and activities. The festivities begin at the Keauhou Farmers’ Market at the Keauhou Shopping Center from 8:00 am to noon, complete with farmer-chef cooking demonstrations and tastings that begin at 10:00 am. This year, Stuart Johnson, also known as Mango Man, and Chef William Trask, President of the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Association, will be featured. http://outriggerhawaii.com/mango_festival.aspx
57th Annual Hilo Orchid Society Show & Sale
August 7-9, 2009
Thousands of orchids are on display and for sale in this colorful three-day extravaganza, the State’s largest orchid show. Experts offer demonstrations, growing tips and more. Admission is by donation at the door. At the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo. 9 – 9 Friday, 9 – 5 Saturday and 10 – 2 Sunday. Call (808) 982-7753 or hiloorchidsociety@prodigy.net
Kauai
King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade And Ho‘olaulea
June 13, 2009
The marching units, decorated vehicles and glamorous Pau riders start and Vidinha Stadium traveling down Rice Street to end at the historic County Building. Following the parade, guests enjoy Ho‘olaulea with music, hula and more. For more information, call 808-821-6895.
Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani Exhibition
June 14, 2009
Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani presents and evening of chants, music and hula. People of all ages dance in an evening of Hawaiian and Polynesian entertainment and arts and crafts. Event will be held at the Kauai War Memorial in Lihu‘e. For more information, call 808-335-6466.
Banana Poka Roundup
June 21, 2009
The Koke‘e Natural History Museum’s annual forest free education fair features Hawaiian music, environmental exhibitions, forest craft workshops, family activities and more. Rid Kaua‘i’s native forests of an invasive weed and learn how to make a basket. For more information, call 808-335-9975.
Kaua‘i Concert Association
June 27-28, 2009
Enjoy the music of seven musical ensembles including local, state, and nationally renowned jazz artists. Through the collaboration of KCA and the W.S. Pete Robinson Fund, the 2nd Annual Clay Jazz Festival brings a diverse set of artists to entertain by Kalapaki Bay. Prices to be announced. For more information call 808-245-7464 or visit www.kauai-concert.org.
4th of July Concert In The Sky
July 4, 2009
Enjoy the annual event with family fun, great food from Kaua‘i’s top hotels and restaurants, continuous live music and spectacular aerial fireworks shows. Event is held at Vidinha Stadium from 3:00-9:00 p.m. For more information, call 808-245-7277.
Koloa Plantation Days Festival
July 18-26, 2009
Enjoy a week-long tribute to Kaua‘i’s plantation heritage on the south shore. Events throughout the week include Sunset Ho‘olaule‘a, paniolo rodeo, plantation tennis tournament, hapa road walk, Hawaiian Olympics, golf putting, craft fair, ethnic cooking demonstrations and more! A parade and festival in Koloa Town feature great entertainment, local food and crafts. For more information call 808-652-3217 or visit www.koloaplantationdays.com.
Kaua‘i Music Festival
July 29-Aug 1, 2009
The Kaua‘i Music Festival is a four-day celebration of the art of songwriting. At the festival, attendees learn songwriting from some of the best songwriters and Grammy-winning producers. Participants’ music will be heard in small group seminars and in the songwriting competition. For more information, visit www.kauaimusicfestival.com.
Heiva I Kaua‘i
August 1-2, 2009
The annual Heiva I Kaua‘i Iorana Tahiti in Lihu‘e is an International Tahitian dance competition, thanking place over several days, with solo and group performances, plus traditional and contemporary drumming categories. For more information, call 808-822-9447.
All Girls Rodeo
August 16, 2009
Enjoy the All Girls Rodeo at Kealia Arena, across from Kealia Beach. Open-air bleacher seating with ocean view and cheer for Kaua‘i’s finest cowgirls, ranging in age from grade-schoolers to grandmothers, as they compete in six rodeo events – barrel racing, steer undecorating, goat tying, pole pending, daily team roping and breakaway roping. A lunch wagon is on hand with local favorites. Free admission. Show is from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 808-639-3091.
Maui
Upcountry Fair
June 13-14, 2009
Eddie Tam Community Center, Makawao
29th annual Ag Fair with Maui County 4H Championships and auction, entertainment, farmer’s market, plants, crafts, games and paniolo barbeque.
Maui Film Festival at Wailea
June 17-21, 2009
10th annual festival showcases special movie screenings and premieres under the stars. www.mauifilmfestival.com
Ki Hoalu Festival
June 18, 2009
Maui Arts & Cultural Center, A&B Amphitheater
18th annual, free, slack key festival featuring an all-star line-up of some of Hawaii's best ki hoalu musicians, with local vendors, arts and crafts, and delicious local-style food. For more information, call (808) 242-SHOW or visit www.mauiarts.org.
Makawao Parade & Rodeo
July 3 -6, 2009
This is no ordinary rodeo. Celebrating its 52nd anniversary, the Makawao Rodeo the largest rodeo in all Hawaii. Competitoins include barrel racing, calf roping, rode clowns and bareback bronco riding. There is plenty food, entertainment and dancing to go around, as well. A bull-riding “Bull Bash” will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday; admission is $15. Rodeo competitions on Saturday and Sunday will begin at 1 p.m.; admission is $10. Parade begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. For more information about the parade, call 808-572-9565. For rode information, call 808-572-0386.
Tahiti Fete
August 15 – 16, 2009
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
Tahitian dance and drumming competition, including solo and group events. Contestants range in age from 3 to kupuna. Crafts, food and plenty of entertainment, too. General admission two-day pass runs $20; one day pass is $15. Two-day passes for senior citizens (60+) and children (6 to 12) is $15 and one-day passes are $10. For more information, call 808-250-0737 or email heivaimaui@yahoo.com/eugeniololita
O’ahu
The Brothers Cazimero at the Waikiki Aquarium
June 18, 2009
Building on the success of its annual “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summer concert series, the Waikiki Aquarium will once again host five oceanside concerts featuring some of the islands’ top performers. This year’s concert series will highlight such beloved artists as The Brothers Cazimero and Willie K. and feature live entertainment on the lawn, food by various restaurant partners and fun for the entire family. http://www.outriggerhawaii.com/waikiki_aquarium_concerts.aspx
8th Annual Korean Festival
July 11, 2009
The 8th Annual Korean Festival put on by the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at Kapiolani Park from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The one-day free admission event will feature Korean music, dance, food, cultural displays and family activities, as well as Korean-made and local products. Special attractions include Korean cooking demonstrations, Kimchee eating contest, a Korean Song Contest, and all-day entertainment and performances by local Korean dance studios, and others. Scrip will be sold for food, product, and some activities. Parking is available at Kapiolani Community College and free shuttle will be provided. For information, please visit www.koreanfestivalhawaii.com or call (808) 792-9321.
Hoku Zuttermeister at the Waikiki Aquarium
July 2, 2009
Building on the success of its annual “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summer concert series, the Waikiki Aquarium will once again host five oceanside concerts featuring some of the islands’ top performers. This year’s concert series will highlight such beloved artists as The Brothers Cazimero and Willie K. and feature live entertainment on the lawn, food by various restaurant partners and fun for the entire family. http://www.outriggerhawaii.com/waikiki_aquarium_concerts.aspx
Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole at the Waikiki Aquarium
July 16, 2009
Building on the success of its annual “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summer concert series, the Waikiki Aquarium will once again host five oceanside concerts featuring some of the islands’ top performers. This year’s concert series will highlight such beloved artists as The Brothers Cazimero and Willie K. and feature live entertainment on the lawn, food by various restaurant partners and fun for the entire family. http://www.outriggerhawaii.com/waikiki_aquarium_concerts.aspx
32nd Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival
July 18, 2009
Named in memory of King Kamehameha V, Prince Lot, the festival, held at Maunalua Gardens, was founded in 1978 and now attracts more than 8,000 residents and visitors each year. The event celebrates hula kahiko, ancient hula and chant, and will feature a`uana (modern) hula performances as well. Dancers will perform on one of the few remaining pa hula (hula mounds) in Hawai`i. Special entertainment will include a performance by the Kamehameha Schools Men’s Alumni Glee Club and Royal Hawaiian Band concert. For more information, please visit www.mgf-hawaii.org or call 808.839.5334
38th Annual Roy Sakuma ‘Ukulele Festival Hawai‘i
July 27, 2009
Local ‘ukulele legend Roy Sakuma and his sponsors are helping to keep the ‘ukulele alive with the largest festival of its kind in the world, attracting audiences of thousands. The free two-hour concerts showcase the finest ‘ukulele players, along with national celebrities, Hawai‘i’s top entertainers, and an ‘ukulele orchestra of more than 800 students, mostly children. The festival benefits ‘Ukulele Festival Hawai‘i, a charitable non-profit organization.
www.roysakuma.net/ukulelefestival/index.htm or (808) 732-3739
Maunalua at the Waikiki Aquarium
July 30, 2009
Building on the success of its annual “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summer concert series, the Waikiki Aquarium will once again host five oceanside concerts featuring some of the islands’ top performers. This year’s concert series will highlight such beloved artists as The Brothers Cazimero and Willie K. and feature live entertainment on the lawn, food by various restaurant partners and fun for the entire family. http://www.outriggerhawaii.com/waikiki_aquarium_concerts.aspx
26th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival
August 13-16, 2009
Slack key guitar originated in Hawai‘i in the 19th century with Hawaiian paniolo (cowboys), and is continuing to gain popularity today, with slack key collection albums having won Grammy awards in the Best Hawaiian Music category for the last three years. The Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival, founded in 1982, celebrates the cultural importance, perpetuates, and preserves the unique acoustic guitar art form, “Kī hō‘alu,” which means “loosen the key.” The festival features performances by well-known slack key musicians and Grammy winners including Ledward Ka‘apana, Cyril Pahinui and Keoki Kahumoku. www.slackkeyfestival.com or (808) 226-2697
Willie K. at the Waikiki Aquarium
August 13, 2009
Building on the success of its annual “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summer concert series, the Waikiki Aquarium will once again host five oceanside concerts featuring some of the islands’ top performers. This year’s concert series will highlight such beloved artists as The Brothers Cazimero and Willie K. and feature live entertainment on the lawn, food by various restaurant partners and fun for the entire family. http://www.outriggerhawaii.com/waikiki_aquarium_concerts.aspx
Annual Okinawan Festival
September 5-6, 2009
One of Hawai‘i’s most popular cultural events, the annual Okinawan Festival, will return to Kapi‘olani Park over the Labor Day weekend. The weekend events will begin Friday evening with an international parade through Waikīkī, followed by the official opening ceremonies and a special concert on the Festival stage at Kapi‘olani Park. The parade steps off at Nike Town near Ft. DeRussy at 5:30 p.m. with Festival performers, visitors from overseas, HUOA members and others participating in the lively march to Kapi‘olani Park for the opening ceremonies. Several of Okinawa’s alltime favorite entertainers will be coming to perform at the Festival. They will be joined by Hawai‘i’s own Okinawan music, dance and karate schools and clubs. Kapiolani Park, 3840 Paki Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815. www.okinawanfestival.com
2009 Hawai‘i Writers Retreat & Conference
August 28 – September 3, 2009
September 4 – September 7, 2009
Now on Oahu, the Hawai‘i Writers Conference, (formerly the Maui Writers Conference) is the premier event of its kind in the world attracting more than 1,000 authors, screenwriters, journalists, and the top literary agents, editors and film executives. The Hawai‘i Writers Conference consists of two events: The Hawai‘i Writers Retreat and Hawaii Writers Conference. The Retreat, August 28 to September 3 at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, offers workshops in fiction, nonfiction and screenwriting. The 150 participants will be mentored by New York Times bestselling authors or award winning screenwriters in a classroom setting. It is an unprecedented opportunity for a new writer to work with an author or screenwriter at the top of his field.
The Conference takes place over the Labor Day Weekend, September 4th to September 7th at the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Waikiki Hotels. There are over 100 workshops and lectures where an aspiring writer can learn about the craft and business of publishing and film, or make important connections with publishing agents and editors in one-on-one consultations. A Friday Pre-Conference will be offered as well as the Hawai‘i Writers Conference Prose Writing Competition.
For more information, visit www.HawaiiWritersConference.com