The Pan-Pacific Festival is set to once again bring exciting cultural performances to Honolulu and Waikīkī, from June 13 to 15. This year’s festival is the second following a five-year hiatus. “We are thrilled to continue the tradition of bringing together cultures from around the Pan-Pacific to celebrate our global community,” says Yusuke Komoriya, president […]
*This story was originally published on Jun. 28, 2019. After months of watching and waiting, it’s finally here: mango season, which, in Hawaiʻi, runs from March to November, depending on the variety. The sweet and tangy orange fruit first arrived in Hawaiʻi from Mexico in the early 1800s and has been an Island favorite
*This story was originally published on Mar. 17, 2020. It is another warm Saturday morning in downtown Honolulu. Gentle streams of light pour through the windows of ‘Iolani Palace’s former archives building and into the cool, air-conditioned room. Dozens of women are busily setting up space amongst the tables and chairs, arms full of
The prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival wrapped up competition this weekend in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. Like every year, the hula and mele were incredible. Jaedyn Janae Puahualani Pavao took home the title of Miss Aloha Hula 2025 on Thursday night at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium. Pavao is a student and niece of Kumu Hula Leināʻala
Every year May 1 marks Lei Day in Hawaiʻi. It’s a tribute to the iconic Hawaiian lei, a beautiful symbol of aloha that is so tightly woven in Hawaiian culture. Originating in the 1920s during a period of steamship travel to the Islands, Lei Day has blossomed into a beloved tradition. Throughout the Islands, festivals
*This story was originally published on May 19, 2020. Every surf break on Oʻahu, even the ones that only emerge during historic swells, has a name. And these backstories can be intriguing, clever—or downright hilarious. Here are some of the stories behind Oʻahu’s surf breaks, thanks to the manaʻo (thought, belief, theory) of historian John
Referred to as the Olympics of hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival is one of the biggest events in Hawaiʻi. The 62nd annual Merrie Monarch Festival kicks off this week in Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, which features three consecutive days of competition: The Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 24, the kahiko division on April 25 and
*This story was originally published on Jan. 26, 2018. When it’s my turn to order at Kaimukī’s Crack Seed Store, I tell Mr. Young, the owner, that I’ll have whatever the guy in front of me had. What the guy had was a strawberry Icee with li hing mui (preserved plum) juice and vanilla
*This story was originally published on Feb. 13, 2018. The steel gate kicks open and a calf darts from the roping chute into the open arena. It barely gains a 10-foot lead before 30-year-old Kalai Nobriga is after it on his champagne-colored horse, his lasso whirling over his head. In what looks like a
*This story was originally published on Dec. 5, 2013. It’s not uncommon to walk right past an important archaeological site on Oʻahu and not even know it. It happens all the time in Waikīkī. Right outside of a police substation on Kalākaua Avenue, near the beachside statue of Hawaiʻi Olympian Duke Kahanamoku, stands a
Ever heard of the phrase, “Leave No Trace”? It’s an accepted set of seven principles—a mantra in national parks and other protected outdoor spaces—that remind visitors to minimize their impact on the environment. One of those principles can directly be applied to national parks in Hawai‘i: Leave what you find. For decades, people have taken
Before sunrise one morning, on Hawai‘i Island, a man named ‘Ulu prayed to the gods for help and guidance. His son was dying and his village was starving. Later that day, ‘Ulu told his wife he would not live to see morning. “Bury my body outside near the stream,” he said. “In the morning go
