The 18th annual 'Iolani Luahine Hula Festival will be held at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay. The Festival was established in 2003 with a vision to perpetuate the hula, and it also serves as a way to honor the memory of kumu hula 'Iolani Luahine and her contributions to the preservation of hula and Hawaiian culture.
This year the festival will again include hula presentations, and a challenge to kumu hula with a prize for the one who best demonstrates the values of 'Iolani Luahine: education and Hawaiian culture. The festival will feature hula workshops, Ni'ihau shell jewelry workshops and a feather flowers workshop to create a lei pua papale. Hula presentations will feature keiki, opio, makuahine, makuakane, and kupuna.
The hula presentations on both days are a free community event and everyone is invited to attend!
Donations will be gratefully accepted to support the festival. There will be a Friday evening Hawaiian music concert featuring Na Hoa which also helps support the festival.
Tickets are $15 and will be available at the festival and at the door. On Saturday, there will be Hawaiian arts and crafts by local artisans beginning at 11:00 am.
For workshop registration, or more information about the festival, please visit www.iolaniluahinefestival.org. For more information, email administrator@nawaiiwiola.org.