Honolulu Festival to commence Friday

The 22nd Honolulu Festival, which showcases the cultures of the Pacific Rim, is expected to bring 5,000 visitors to Hawaii this weekend.

That’s a record draw for the free three-day event, said Tsukasa Harufuku, president of the Honolulu Festival Foundation.

“The event keeps getting bigger,” Harufuku said. “As we gather in Hawaii for a special weekend of cultural learning and entertainment, we are thrilled to be celebrating 22 years of international partnerships and cooperation.”

Tourism leaders say the event, which starts Friday, is well-timed to capitalize on an improving yen rate as well as efforts to market to visitors from Japan and from other international source markets. After the Japan market struggled last year, it rebounded somewhat in January with visitor arrivals rising 6.4 percent year-over-year to 118,849. However, spending by Japanese visitors during the same period dropped about 4 percent to $162.7 million from the year-earlier month.

January visitor arrivals from other foreign markets such as Oceania, Asian nations outside of Japan, Europe and Latin America grew 12.8 percent year-over-year to 109,700 and spending during the same period rose 12.1 percent to $274.3 million.

“The festival helps to stimulate travel immensely. With all that’s going on around the world and problems in other destinations, Hawaii is poised to benefit from our image as a safe, clean and stable destination,” said Danny Ojiri, vice president of market development for Outrigger Enterprises Group, a longtime festival sponsor.

Altogether, about 160 groups will participate in the event. This year also marks the first year that the festival has welcomed a performance group from Italy, which jibes with efforts by the Hawaii Tourism Authority to grow the European visitor market.

“It’s exciting. We’ve got a new marketing contractor for Europe and I just met with the counsel general from Italy because this is the first year that our contractor will have a Hawaii tourism office in Italy,” HTA President and CEO George Szigeti said.

Szigeti said the festival’s impact helps support the jobs and businesses of Hawaii’s No. 1 industry.

“During its first 21 years, the festival has generated an estimated $200 million in visitor spending,” he said.

Still, he and organizers say the festival’s major significance is its ability to perpetuate the strong cultural ties between the Pacific Rim and Hawaii. This year’s festival theme, “Cultural Harmony, Journey to Peace,” reflects that long-standing mission.

Free events will be held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, Waikiki Beach Walk and Ala Moana Center throughout the weekend. The Hawai‘i Convention Center will be the host site for the food providers, craft fairs, workshops and movie screenings.

Visit honolulufestival.com for a full event schedule. The festival begins with school tours and its only paid event, the Friendship Gala, which features performances by Raiatea Helm, Kupaoa and visiting cultural performers, along with cuisine from Oahu restaurants. Money raised by the Friendship Gala supports the Honolulu Festival Foundation’s educational and cultural programs in Hawaii.

Events conclude on Sunday with the Waikiki Grand Parade, which begins at 4:30 p.m. on Kalakaua Avenue and features performers, floats and groups from Pacific Rim countries and Hawaii. This year, the city awarded the parade legacy status so that the decades-old event would no longer have to compete with other events to earn its Waikiki street closure. Following the parade, the Nagaoka Fireworks Show will light up Waikiki, starting at 8:30 p.m. Nagaoka City, Honolulu’s sister city, is the host of the event, which comes to Waikiki for the fifth straight year.

Gov. David Ige said in a written statement, “The Honolulu Festival continues to be a longstanding cultural event that highlights the diversity of our island state through various scheduled events and exhibits. Through festivals like this, the people of Hawaii are able to share with the world the Aloha spirit that makes our islands so unique. In turn, we are also able to learn and appreciate the diversity of the Pacific Rim that will also be on display.”

HONOLULU FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Cultural performances, arts and exhibits are on tap for the Honolulu Festival, which begins Friday with a Friendship Gala and continues through the weekend.

>> Weekend hours: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 am. to 3 p.m.

>> Bon dances: Saturday, 1:10-1:45 p.m., 3:30-4:05 p.m.; Sunday, 1:50-2:25 p.m.

>> Symposium: “Japanese in Hawaii: From the plantation to Pearl Harbor to peace.” Saturday, 2-4 p.m., Room 301

>> Movie presentations: Free screenings of eight Japanese films at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Presented by the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu.

>> Waikiki Grand Parade: Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Kalakaua Avenue

>> Nagaoka Fireworks Show: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. Fireworks will be shot from barges positioned at the midpoint of Waikiki Beach between the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Sheraton Waikiki.

>> Friendship Gala: Friday, 7-8:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Convention Center. Tickets are $90 per person; $70 per person under 21; free for children under 6. Available at honolulufestival.com.

>> Aloha Dance Convention: Saturday, 8:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Convention Center. The Aloha Dance Convention showcases up to 20 dance teams from around the world.

>> Honolulu Rainbow Ekiden: Sunday, 9 a.m. The Honolulu Rainbow Ekiden relay race featuring teams of three to five runners taking turns running along a scenic 5-kilometer route in Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head.

>> WaikiKitchen: Taste of Local, Kapiolani Park, Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The food festival will sell local favorites.

>> Website: honolulufestival.com.