The Kamehameha Day celebration begins on Friday afternoon with a ceremony and lei draping at the Kamehameha statue in front of the Aliiolani Building in downtown Honolulu. The ceremony features the draping of the statue in thirteen foot flower lei followed by display of traditional Hawaiian protocol of respect and commemoration. This is followed by Hawaiian dance and celebration. The event begins at 4:30pm and volunteers are encouraged to assist in the stringing of lei.
The celebration continues the next day with the wonderful Kamehameha Day Floral Parade. The parade begins at 9:30am in front of the Kamehameha statue now draped from head to toe in fresh flower lei, and continues through Honolulu and ends at Kapiolani Park.
Following the parade Kapiolani Park is the venue for even more celebration. The King Kamehameha Folklife Festival is held in the park until 3 pm. Lots of music and food booths will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy the multi-cultural experience that Hawaii is especially known for.
Sunday's activities offer yet another parade. The Pan-Pacific Festival hosts a parade and ho`olaulea (block party) from 5 to 7 pm along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. This festival honors the importance of Asian cultures in Hawaii. The parade is wonderfully colorful with costumed performers, the rhythmic beat of taiko drums, and the rousing music of marching bands.
Following the parade, the celebration continues into the night with several stages of entertainment along Kalakaua Avenue that will fill the evening air with music and entertainment from Japan and Hawaii. Also, food booths of all types will be set up to sample and enjoy a evening meal by the beach.
Kamehameha Day is one of the best weekends to be in Honolulu. Lots of wonderful examples of what Hawaii is all about. Recent plans to resurrect the celebration has certainly shown that people in Hawaii feel that this celebration is a truly important and significant one that will continue into the future and will certainly get better each year.
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