The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation. Highlights include the presentation of the Royal Court, a ho'olaule'a in

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

, and the Floral Parade. Approximately 30,000 people volunteer to plan, organize, and provide labor for the Aloha Festivals each year. Their efforts entertain over 1,000,000 people from throughout the state and visitors from all over the world.

History

Establishment

In the spirit of preserving the

Hawaiian culture The culture of the Native Hawaiians encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms practiced by the original residents of the Hawaiian islands, including their knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits. H ...

and heritage, the Aloha Festivals were established in 1946 as Aloha Week by former members of the local Junior Chamber of Commerce. The former manager of the festivals, Goriann Akau, has said, "In 1946, after the war, Hawaiians needed an identity. We were lost and needed to regroup. When we started to celebrate our culture, we began to feel proud. We have a wonderful culture that had been buried for a number of years. This brought it out again. Self-esteem is more important than making a lot of money."

Scaling down

The festival was celebrated on six of Hawaii's islands, but in 2008 festival organizers decided to hold most events on Oahu due to a lack of funding. There was also the chance that the Floral Parade would be cancelled altogether, but it was saved by private donors and funds from the

City and County of Honolulu Honolulu County (officially known as the City and County of Honolulu, formerly Oahu County) is a consolidated city–county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The city–county includes both the city of Honolulu (the state's capital and largest cit ...

. No Aloha festival was held in 2020.

Events

Hula Dancer at Aloha Festivals Floral Parade (a0002653)

Presentation of the Royal Court

The court is selected from a pool of applicants, all of whom must be of Hawaiian ancestry and of certain ages. The festival itself begins with the presentation of the royal court during the opening ceremony. The ceremony takes place at Helumoa, a section of Waikiki near the Royal Hawaiian Center.

Floral Parade

The Floral Parade starts at the intersection of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kamakee st. and goes through

before finishing at

Kapiolani Park Queen Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and second-oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu on the east end of Waikiki just beyond Kuhio Beach Park and the Waikiki residential neighborhood. The park, named after Queen Kapiolani, ...

. The parade features p'au riders,

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

s, hula halaus, and that year's Aloha Festival Royal Court.

Hoʻolauleʻa

The Hoʻolauleʻa is a block party held in

. There is

Hawaiian music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part ...

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song ( mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visua ...

, and food. Attendance is typically in the thousands.

Themes

Each year has a specific theme: * 2019: Nā Mo'olelo ʻUkulele: 'Ukulele Stories. * 2018: No Ke Kai Kakou E ("We are of the Sea") *2016: ''Hāli‘a Aloha'' ("Treasured memories") *2015: ''Hula Aloha'' ("Beloved Feather Treasures") *2010-14: ''?'' (info needed for these years) *2009: ''Hula'' ("Let the Story Be Told") *2008: ''Hula'' ("The Art of Hawaiian Dance") *2005: ''Nā Honu Hawaii'' ("The Spirit Within") *2004: ''No Nā Kamalii'' ("For the Children") *2003: ''E Mau Ana Ka Hula I Ke Kanaka'' ("Hula Lives Through Its People") *2002: ''Ka Uhane O Ka Loea'' ("The Spirit of the Masters") *2001: ''Hoohanohano I Nā Holokai'' ("Honor the Voyagers") *2000: ''He Makana O Nā Lei Nani'' ("A Gift of Beautiful Leis") *1999: ''Hui Pū I ka Hula'' ("Together in Song and Dance") *1998: ''Ola Ka Ōiwi'' ("The Natives Endure")

References

{{Reflist

External links

* http://www.alohafestivals.com Celebrations in Hawaii Festivals in Hawaii Polynesian festivals Cultural festivals in Oceania Native Hawaiian culture 1946 establishments in Hawaii Music festivals established in 1946 Folk festivals in the United States Flower festivals in the United States