Hula Festival
Every April Hilo hosts the Merrie Monarch Festival. Hula's most prestigious event, which attracts the world's most accomplished hula interpreters. The weeklong event is all about traditional Hawaiian, featuring arts and crafts workshops, demos and exhibitions, not to mention the hallmark three-day hula compeition. This is Hawaii's big cultural outreach festival, great for everyone, especially the keiki.
The Ho'olaulea (music festival) starts off the week and there's always some free concerts and improptu performances around the events sites. Midweek they start up the arts and crafts show and turn Hilo into one sidewalk event, and the parade on Saturday is one of Hawaii's best. The solo hula competitions are usually staged on Thursdays with the group competitions running Friday and Saturday.
The event is now over 40 years old and honors the memory of King David Kalakaua, the "Merrie Monarch," who revived the traditional arts and culture of the islands during his reign in the 1880's. Hilo has always been home to the festival because it still looks and feels like old-time Hawaii and Madame Pele lives close nearly down at Kilauea. During the week, many go to pay honor to her.
Generally, visitors can drop in on everything, anytime, except for the hula. These three nights are always SRO. If you really want to be there, you have to plan in advance and ask around. Thousands come to Hilo to be part of this great event
• 2002 Merrie Monarch snapshots
• Hawai`i's H4 - Hula from the Merrie Monarch Festival 1995
• Merry Monarch Remembered - Hula Dancing of Hawaii
• The Official Merrie Monarch Festival Website
