ICHCAP

The first Hawaii Kuauli Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival will be held at the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua, Hawaii County, from 18 to 20 May 2018. The festival is organized by Hawaii Island-Pacific & Asia Cultural Center (HIPACC), a multi-generational group of Hawaiian residents. This festival is HIPACC’s first mission to share the dignity and authenticity of the cultural expressions of the Pacific and Polynesia among local residents and tourists. With this unique mission and the storytelling, the festival is sponsored by many public and private actors, including the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (Marriott), the Island Breeze Productions, and others.

This three-day festival will be an interactive experience for both local residents and visitors, providing them with a platform to showcase the gifts and talents of Pacific and Polynesian cultures. Presentations of cultural dance expressions, culturally based education programs, food, music, fashion, art, and traditional arts and crafts workshops will be held throughout the festival. It is expected that the cultural diversity of Hawaii will not only attract visitors but also establish an opportunity to bring awareness to the cultural heritage that has been established in Hawaii.

Friday 18 May is the opening ceremony where visitors can experience Hawaiian protocol as well as those from other Pacific and Asian cultures. This ceremony will feature cultural groups from New Zealand, Samoa, Japan, Fiji, and Tahiti. Doors open at 4:30 pm and the protocol will start at 5:00 pm. On Saturday, 19 May, a cultural fashion show will take place and be hosted by Nita Pilago, a local designer from Wahine Toa Designs. On the same day, a hula competition will be held where people can enter into two categories, group Kahiko and group Auana. On the last day, Sunday 20 May, there will be cultural workshops to learn how to make Samoan Siapo and traditional Hawaiian floral headpieces, Lei Po’o and to learn Maori Kapa Haka and Nohona Hawaii.

Some events, including the opening ceremony and Maori Kapa Haka and Nohona Hawaii, are free while others require admissions and online registration. Prices range from five to twenty-five dollars per person with some discounts offered according to age; the revenue generated will be donated to local communities practicing traditional cultural heritage. For more information please visit the festival’s official website.