Moving to Hawaii? That’s great news! It means amazing beaches on your doorstep, sunshine all year round and a laid-back attitude all the time. But there’s even more than that! Hawaii is also known for its vibrant culture and its famous hula dance. Many festivals that take place every year draw visitors to the islands. Here are the most fabulous festivals in Hawaii.
Merrie Monarch Festival
For avid hula fans, the Merrie Monarch Festival is the highlight of the year. It’s an epic hula festival, the one that brought hula to the global scene and made it known across the world. Hula is a Polynesian dance accompanied by a chant (called oli) or a song (called mele). The hula’s birthplace is Hawaii. However, the dance was developed by the Polynesian community over there.
This festival was first held back in 1963 and was named after Kalakaua, Hawaii’s last reigning king, whose nickname was The Merrie Monarch. Over the time it evolved into a weeklong event, with lots of hula dance, musicians performing their songs and artisans selling their crafts. It takes place in Hilo, a town situated on the Big Island.
About the event
The event begins with a formal Hawaiian court procession and then there’s an exhibition night (Hoike), dedicated to artistic expression. It starts with dance troupes from other countries performing out of the competition and is followed by a big hula competition that lasts for three days. There are three categories: the women’s solo title, group traditional dance (hula kahiko) and group modern dance (hula auana). The event ends with an awards ceremony and a royal parade. Merrie Monarch Festival takes place during the week after Easter and is a great opportunity to enjoy the local culture if you can make it to Hawaii at that particular time.
Aloha Festivals
This is the largest Hawaiian cultural event, being held on all the islands. The idea is to promote the aloha spirit and celebrate the cultural diversity of Hawaii, that is various customs and traditions of the state. Each island in Hawaii hosts its own events during the festival and they all highlight the history of that particular island.
The biggest celebration takes place on the island of Oahu and even people from other islands come to enjoy celebrations together. They all gather in the streets of Waikiki and spend their time visiting food tents, playing games and enjoying local entertainment. The highlight is the vibrant floral parade going down the Kalakaua Avenue. There’s a colorful carnival taking place on the island of Maui, as well as vibrant activities on Kauai and the Big Island.
The festivities are held in September each year. So if you’re planning to move to Hawaii try to do in time to enjoy the next Aloha Festivals. And if Maui is your location and you want to move, you might want to start searching for Wailea movers right away.
Lantern Floating Hawaii
This is an event that takes place every Memorial Day, at the Oahu’s south shore. And when it does, thousands of framed lanterns can be seen floating on the water at the sunset. Those lanterns are actually small shrines made of paper and wood. People write names and messages for long lost ones, and that is what makes this festival so emotional. More than 50,000 people from across the world come to attend the ceremony. People made this festival very diverse.
Hawaii Food & Wine Festival
Ever dreamed of traveling to Hawaii and tasting their delicious food? If so, try to go there in October, when Hawai Food & Wine Festival takes place. It’s one of the most fabulous festivals in Hawaii and for a reason. There’s a recipe contest as well, along with many other amazing events. There’s something for everyone who wants to attend. Whether they’re local or coming from other parts of the country or even from across the world. If you’re coming for a visit only, after this festival you’ll probably be looking for residential movers Hawaii, desperately wanting to stay. We got you. Totally.
Waikiki Spam Jam
This is actually another food festival taking place in the State of Hawaii. People know about this festival for great food cooking, as well as for family-friendly entertainment and atmosphere. This event lasts for only a few hours, starting at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. Some of the Hawaii’s finest restaurants serve their offerings between the stages and souvenir stands are set up there as well. It’s another one of the most popular festivals in Hawaii and admission is free.
Honolulu Festival
This three-day event celebrates the relationship between Hawaii and the Pacific Rim region. It ends with a Grand Parade, starting from Saratoga Road and going through Kalakaua Avenue. This is another event that takes place sometime in March. Honolulu Festival is held on the island of Oahu, but even if you’re based on another Island of Hawaii (such as living on Maui), you can easily get to the state’s capital and have fun.
Ukulele Festival Hawaii – one of the best festivals in Hawaii
If you’re a fan of ukulele music, this is an event for you. The 1st Annual Ukulele Festival took place back in 1971. The man who made it happen was Roy Sakuma. His dream was to show people that ukulele could be a solo instrument. And what better way to do that than through a free concert? They all come to Waikiki to enjoy ukulele music and have a great time. Another one of the amazing festivals in Hawaii you don’t want to miss.
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