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ONLY IN HAWAII
Week's events celebrate the birthday of a princess
If she were alive, Princess Victoria Kawekiu Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kaiulani Cleghorn would be 112 years old, quite a respectable age that deserves celebration.
And so her statue, in Princess Kaiulani Triangle Park across from the Outrigger Ohana East Hotel, will be draped in leis at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. A ceremony, with conch-blowing and a chant, will be followed by acknowledgment of various Hawaiian societies.
The bronze statue of the princess, created by Jan Gordon Fisher, was dedicated in 1999 and shows her in Victorian dress, feeding a peacock at her feet.
Kaiulani was born in 1875, daughter of Princess Miriam Likelike and Gov. Archibald Cleghorn. She died at age 23, shortly after the overthrow of her aunt, Liliuokalani.
The Outrigger-sponsored ceremony is free.
Also in honor of the princess, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is hosting free cultural events through Oct. 19, including lessons in hula, ukulele, lei-making and other crafts.
The celebration ends with the Princess Ka'iulani Keiki Hula Festival, with more than 200 dancers age 5 to 12, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The festival is also free. Call (808) 922-5811.
