These hula-minded Instagram feeds will cover all the excitement happening in Hilo during the hula community’s favorite time of year. Be sure to follow them this week as they share the fun (both on and off stage) during the 2018 Merrie Monarch Festival. For stage photos and recap: @merriemonarchfestival View this post on Instagram […]
Another year of extraordinary hula and Hawaiian music is taking place this week as the 55th annual Merrie Monarch Festival begins this Thursday, April 5 through Saturday April 7 in Hilo, Hawaii Island. Though tickets sell out immediately upon release in November, hula fans can still enjoy the competition from the comforts of home. And
Every year, Hilo becomes abuzz with excitement as the annual Merrie Monarch Festival rolls around. A weeklong celebration of hula, Hawaiian culture and the aloha spirit, it’s easy to get lost in the festivities and goings on. With a hoolaulea (celebration), an art festival, crafts fair and much-anticipated hula competitions happening on different days, make
The camera’s light flashes. White gloved hands shift King Kalakaua’s pipe ever so slightly. Beside us is a room filled with relics, not often seen on display. Having belonged to Hawaii’s kings, queens and noble people, these are no ordinary antiques. Every delicate piece comes with a story, bringing history to life. Take a look
Returning for its 98th year on Friday, March 16, the annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest gathers high school students from its Kapalama-Oahu Campus to sing Hawaiian mele (songs) in olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language). Performers are split into groups, with boys, girls and co-eds all competing to take home trophies and awards. This year’s theme commemorates
On a bright Tuesday afternoon, the roof of the Hyatt Centric Waikiki is buzzing. Couples relax on chaise lounge chairs and kids splash in the shallow pool. Just to the right is an unassuming rectangular garden, large heart-shaped leaves swaying in the breeze. These kalo (taro) plants were originally planted for aesthetic purposes, but thanks
During the third week of February, artists from all over the world hit the streets of Honolulu for the annual Pow! Wow! street art festival that leaves the Kakaako district a colorful walk-through gallery of urban art each year. Although the event was scaled down in 2018 it still brought some 50 artists to participate, including serious
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows here in Hawaii. Just like any other state, we’ve got our own fair share of problems, with the exorbitant price of milk, constant humidity and an overabundance of sand being just a few of the daily struggles residents have to face. Here are a few problems locals and longtime residents
The 2018 HAWAII Magazine Photo Contest received many beautiful entries from around the world, making it a difficult job for our in-house team of editors, designers and staff to pick the top winners. Here, we feature the first- and second-place winners in four categories: Outdoor, Culture, People and Abstract. Congratulations to all of our winners,
Looking for a great way to experience the art, architecture and culture of Hawaii—from traditional to urban? Here are a few local-recommended places to start. Palace serenade Learn about Hawaiian royalty on the Big Island during the Victorian era at Kona’s Hulihee Palace. Former Governor of Hawaii Island John Adams Kuakini had the lava rock,
Haleakala National Park recently stated on its Facebook page that it had received “1,275 rocks in 2017—about 100 rocks per month” in the mail. A Hawaii superstition that is shared widely in the Islands, taking a rock from Hawaii will supposedly bring down a curse on the thief from Pele, the volcano goddess, which is why Hawaii’s parks—and Hawaiian Airlines—receive rocks in
Some people wanted him dead. When King Kaumualii, the last ruling chief of Kauai and Niihau, peacefully agreed to become a vassal of King Kamehameha, some warriors preferred bloodshed to diplomacy. Kamehameha couldn’t conquer the Kingdom of Kauai and Niihau through warfare, though he tried. After uniting Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Oahu in notoriously
