Hawaii Vacations Blog - Hawaii Travel by a Hawaii Expert!

44th ANNUAL MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL
April 8 - April 14, 2007

The week-long festivities begin with a Ho’olaulea (music festival) on Moku Ola (Coconut Island) on Easter Sunday and continues all week with free noon-day entertainment at the Hilo Civic Auditorium. On Wednesday, there is a free exhibition night at the Edith Kanaka’ole Tennis Stadium that begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday is the solo Miss Aloha Hula Competition, Friday and Saturday are the group Kahiko (Ancient) and ‘Auana (Modern) hula competitions. There are arts and crafts fairs on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at several locations. The big Merrie Monarch Royal Parade winds through downtown Hilo at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Except for the hula competition, the events are free.

The Merrie Monarch Festival is committed to: 1) Perpetuating the traditional culture of the Hawaiian people; 2) Developing and augmenting a living knowledge of Hawaiian arts and crafts through workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and performances of the highest quality and authenticity; 3) Reaching those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate; and, 4) Enriching the future lives of all of Hawaii’s children.

In preparation of the Merrie Monarch Festival, hula studios and instructors in Hawaii and on the U.S. Mainland hold classes, workshops, and seminars throughout the year to teach the art of hula, the meaning of Hawaiian chants and songs, the Hawaiian language, the making of Hawaiian clothing and crafts, and the history of the Hawaiian people.

Through this ongoing year-round learning process, students also gain a knowledge and appreciation of the unique harmony and balance the ancient Hawaiian people maintained with their island environment. The chants, songs and dance tell stories of the Hawaiians’ relationship with nature-the birds and fish, trees and flowers, mountains, oceans, rivers, wind, rain and Hawaii’s active volcanoes.