*This story was originally published on March 6, 2019 and updated on Aug. 20. On a Sunday at sunrise, the South Kona sky painted in pastels, I drive bleary-eyed on Māmalahoa Highway heading south past monstera and banana plants toward the hulking mass of Mauna Loa, rising nearly 1,500 feet into the sky. Two […]
*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
While hula is the main attraction at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the gorgeous flowers used in lei and other adornment are show-shoppers, too. Many of these flowers are native to the Islands and have cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. Here are some flowers you might see on stage this year. Read More: 6 Iconic Tropical
Hana Hou Hilo bustles with energy. Once an antiques and collectibles store focused on Hawaiiana and Oceania art and accessories, the boutique in sleepy Hilo town now sells an assortment of locally made goods, curated jewelry and apparel, as well as zero-waste, sustainably made products. And it all started with a wahine (woman) and her
The Donkey Mill Art Center partners with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) each year, providing free workshops with the purchase of a $5 festival button. Attendees can check out cultural activities that make Hawai‘i unique: natural dye, lauhala weaving, lei making and live demos. Thanks to an invitation by KCCF organizers, I had the
From Polynesian delicacies to daring fire dances, an authentic Hawaiian lū‘au is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in all that makes Hawaiʻi and our neighboring South Pacific islands so special.
Spring Break is over and summer isn’t here yet. So we’re all daydreaming about that Hawaiʻi vacation. (Yes, we daydream about the Islands, too.) There’s one way we can bring the Islands to us—shopping! We rounded up some of our favorite Hawaiʻi products right now, from comfy blankets in tropical prints to lilikoʻi butter that’s
It was a fantastic weekend of hula on Hawaiʻi Island. The 60th Merrie Monarch Festival showcased some of the best hula halau (hula schools) from around Hawaiʻi, with Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes of Oʻahu taking the overall title at this year’s festivities.
One of the largest events of the year in Hawaiʻi, the Merrie Monarch Festival is a true celebration of Hawaiian culture and hula all on Hawaiʻi Island. Featuring three straight days of competition—the Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 13, the Kahiko division on April 14 and the ʻAuana division on April 15—the event has been referred
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Merrie Monarch Festival returns in all its glory this year. After a mix of pandemic cancelations and hybrid festivals, competition hula performances are finally open those who snagged coveted general admission tickets. The event is set to run from April 9-15 in Hilo, on Hawaiʻi Island. Dedicated to perpetuating
Set on Hawaiʻi Island’s Kohala Coast, the beautiful Floating Lantern Festival brings together hundreds of residents and visitors to commemorate loved ones who have passed. The enchanting festival derives from Toro Nagashi, a Japanese tradition which translates to “lantern offerings on water.” During the Floating Lantern Festival on the Big Island, hundreds of paper
Since the first event in 1964, the Merrie Monarch Festival has been a vibrant celebration of hula and Hawaiian culture. Excitement builds during a week of festivities, including parades, performances and Hawaiian art fairs, and reaches its peak during three nights of hula competitions. It’s when the quiet town of Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, where
