PHOTOS COURTESY ALOHA FESTIVALS
Opening ceremonies at Iolani Palace are always full of color and pageantry. This year's theme is the hula.
Pageantry, parades
and parties fill
the weeks
Oahu's Aloha Festivals officially opens at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a regal procession from Iolani Palace to Bishop Street, where there'll be a street party going on.
The fun continues Saturday with the colorful floral parade from Ala Moana Park to Waikiki.
The annual celebration began in 1946 as Aloha Week, a celebration of music, dance and history, intended to preserve Hawaii's cultural traditions. The 57-year-old festival is the only statewide celebration in the United States and incorporates pageantry, parades, street parties, concerts and family activities.
The festival has expanded over the years to encompass events on six islands spanning a two-month period.
Events are scheduled to run for two weeks. Here are the Oahu highlights. Events are free except where noted:
Friday
Opening ceremony: Traditional chant and hula will kick off the six-week annual celebration at 5:30 p.m., with the Oahu Royal Court making its appearance on the steps of Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, then leading a procession to Bishop Street at Tamarind Park for the Downtown Ho'olaule'a.Downtown Ho'olaule'a: Music, dancers and contemporary Hawaiian entertainers will fill Bishop Street, from Beretania to Nimitz Highway, and at Aloha Tower Marketplace for this annual street party, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Bishop Street will be closed to accommodate the pau hana celebration. (See our Weekend section coming up Friday for details of the entertainment lineup.)
"The Arts of Hawaii and Its People": This special exhibition features the arts of Hawaii from before contact with the West through contemporary times, plus the temporary exhibition "Brett Weston in Hawaii." Continues through Sept. 21 during museum hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 532-8700. Regular admission is $7 general; $4 for 62 and older, students 13 and older and military; and free for members and keiki 12 and under. Discount with Aloha Festivals ribbon.
Ala Moana Center celebration: Strolling musicians, lei-making demonstrations and entertainment at CenterStage will greet shoppers during the day, continuing through Sunday. For details, call 955-9517.
Hilton royal welcome and hoolaulea: There will be Hawaiian arts and crafts, and entertainment from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Then, from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., the hotel will host a King's Jubilee, a tribute to King David Kalakaua, with a king's procession, flag ceremony, precision rifle drill and musical revue, followed by a fireworks show. Repeats Sept. 19. Call 949-4321, ext. 77881.
"Ka Holo He'e Nalu" (Wave Riders) surf exhibit: Second annual exhibition will offer guests a glimpse into the history of the Hawaiian sport of surfing through a variety of displays, photographs, surfing memorabilia and vintage Hawaiian surfboards. Continues at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, 2169 Kalia Road, through Oct. 31. Call 923-3111.
Marching bands are a traditional part of the Aloha Festivals Floral Parade, which takes place Saturday.
Saturday
Floral parade: Flower-covered floats, pa'u riders, hula halau, marching bands, performers and dignitaries will travel in a colorful two-hour procession beginning at 9 a.m., from Ala Moana Park to Kapiolani Park in Waikiki, down Ala Moana, then Kalakaua Avenue.Hikawa Kiyoshi, the No. 1 enka/pop singer in Japan, is this year's guest of honor. He will perform at various areas along the route and will be joined by hula halau from Japan.
At parade's end there will be entertainment at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hilton's Village Guards Flag Ceremony: Dressed in replicas of uniforms worn by Royal Palace Guards during the monarchy, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Guards conduct precision drills at 5:15 p.m. at the flagpole near the main lobby. Repeats Sept. 20. Call 949-4321, ext. 77881.
Steel Guitar Festival: Enjoy the sounds of old Hawaii provided by a Hawaiian trio complemented by a hula dancer. Renowned steel guitar artists perform at 7:45 p.m. nightly through Sept. 19 at House Without a Key, Halekulani Hotel. Call 923-2311.
Sunday
Aloha Festivals Sunday Services: Special ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m. at Central Union Church, featuring an appearance by the Royal Court.
Celebration of hula: Enjoy hula halau performances at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly through Sept. 21. (No shows on Saturday and Sept. 19.)
Tara Chanel wears an original 1920s chemise by Coco Chanel in her portrayal of Princess Elizabeth Kahanu, wife of Prince Jonah Kuhio. The garment will be part of the "200 Years of Hawaii -- The Hawaiian Monarchy Collection" fashion show of monarchial garments and reproductions at Kahala Mall Sept. 20.
Sept. 19
Royal arrival on the beach: Royal Court members will make their way to Waikiki Beach on a canoe. The sound of conch shells announces the arrival followed by a program of hula, chant and offerings at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Ocean Lawn, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.Waikiki Ho'olaule'a: Partygoers will take to the streets of Waikiki to wrap up Aloha Festivals with a block party including dancing, entertainment, ethnic foods and Hawaiian arts and crafts. Several entertainment stages will showcase a variety of hula and music performances, and there will be booths for the purchase of flower, shell and feather leis, 7 to 10:30 p.m. on Kalakaua Avenue, from Lewers Street to Kapahulu Avenue.
Sept. 20
Waialua Taro Festival: Celebrate the revival of taro farming on the North Shore. Includes all-day entertainment, ethnic foods, craft booths, laulau and taro recipes, art displays, educational booths and "Grown and Made in Waialua" products on display and for sale. Wear an Aloha Festivals ribbon for discounts at select booths. The site is Liliuokalani Church at the corner of Waialua Cane Haul Road and Kamehameha Highway, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 638-7229.Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel Celebration: A day of activities includes an appearance by the Royal Court at 10 a.m. Call 922-0811.
Lovely Hula Hands: Napunaheleonapua and Halau Hula 'O Namakakualii perform. The event includes a farmer's market with fresh fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, lei- and haku-making demonstrations, lei sales and made-in-Hawaii crafts, at Hawaii Kai Towne Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 396-0766.
A Celebration of Hula: Windward Mall hosts this showcase featuring Na Hoku Hanohano-winning entertainers, artisans, crafts, food, giveaways and an appearance by the Royal Court, from 1 to 7 p.m. Call 235-1143.
"200 Years of Hawaii -- The Hawaiian Monarchy Collection": A fashion journey featuring gowns, holoku and heirloom jewelry of Hawaii's alii, from Queen Kaahumanu through Queen Liliuokani. Includes a hula performance, an appearance by the King's Guard and a performance of "Ku'u Pua 'O Paoakalani (The Queen's Song)." From 2 to 3 p.m. at Kahala Mall Center Court. Call 732-7736, ext. 11.
"Ku Ha'ahe (To Cherish With Pride)": The Outrigger Reef on the Beach's second annual luau takes place 5 to 8 p.m. on the hotel's pool deck, 2169 Kalia Road. Produced and written by Kumu Blaine Kia, the evening's performance will showcase the art of hula from its ancient beginnings (kahiko) through the modern style of dancing (auana). Oli (chanting), mele (the poetry and composition of song), ka wa kahiko (the customs and protocols of storytelling) and kumu loea (the mastering of Hawaiian skills and crafts) also will be part of the show. Cost of dinner, show and one cocktail is $60 for adults and $30 (including one nonalcoholic drink) for children 3 to 12. For reservations, call 924-6069.
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