With the approaching King Kamehameha holiday, an array of celebrations commemorating the famous Hawaiian monarch are scheduled to begin today.
The holiday celebrates the legacy of King Kamehameha I, who is known for unifying the Hawaiian Islands under a single governance in 1810.
Festivities will kick off with the King Kamehameha Statue Lei Draping ceremony in front of Ali‘iolani Hale in downtown Honolulu, according to a King Kamehameha Celebration Commission news release. The ceremony will feature music from the Royal Hawaiian Band and a performance by Halau Mohala ‘Ilima. The regal women of ‘Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu also will be in attendance to complete their tradition of stringing a 30-foot plumeria lei that will serve as the base lei on the statue.
The 106th annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade will take place Saturday at 9 a.m. Its route will begin at Iolani Palace and travel down Punchbowl Street before making a left onto Ala Moana Boulevard. There the parade will continue on through Kalakaua Avenue and conclude upon reaching Kapiolani Park. Road closures will begin in downtown Honolulu at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and will precede the parade as it travels along its route.
Also on Saturday will be the King Kamehameha Celebration Ho‘olaule‘a, which will begin at Kapiolani Park at 11 a.m., about a half-hour before the Floral Parade is expected to reach the park. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature cultural activities, hula, live entertainment, games and more. Attendees will have access to on-site food booths and have the opportunity to meet the pa‘u riders who will participate in the Floral Parade. The event will conclude at 5 p.m.
New to the array of annual celebrations is the inaugural King Kamehameha Celebration Pa‘ina, slated to take place Saturday evening. There attendees can celebrate the legacy of King Kamehameha I with live music and authentic Hawaiian crafts. The free event will take place on the third floor of the Waikiki Marriott Beach Resort and Spa and run from 6 to 9 p.m.
Neighbor island events:
Hawaii Island
There will be a floral parade in Kona on Saturday from 9-11:30 a.m., and a hoolaulea at Hulihee Palace from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On Sunday in Kohala, there also will be a lei draping ceremony at the King Kamehameha statue at 8 a.m., a floral parade at 9 a.m. and a hoolaulea at 11 a.m.
Kauai
On Saturday there will be a parade in Lihue at 9 a.m. on Rice Street, from Vidihna Stadium to the Historic County Building. There also will be a hoolaulea at the Historic County Building from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Maui
There will be a hoolaulea in Lahaina on June 17 at 9 a.m., followed by the Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade at 9:45 a.m.
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Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
