MEDIA RELEASE

A canoe and some paddling technique practice at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. NPS photo by Park Ranger Jay Robinson

Hawaii National Park, Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will host the 32nd Annual Cultural Festival on Sat., July 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Park entrance fees will be waived all day.

This annual, one-day gala event is a popular one, and this year the Cultural Festival promotes the importance and understanding of hula kahiko, traditional arts and crafts, and contemporary Hawaiian music. The festival, with anticipated attendance of 5,000 visitors, will be presented at the park’s Kahua Hula (traditional hula platform) at Ka‘auea, near Volcano Art Center.

“We invite everyone to celebrate what truly makes Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park so special: the ever-present spirit of aloha of the Hawaiian people and culture so deeply connected to this sacred land of powerful geology and diverse and unique ecology,” said Park Ranger Joni Mae Makuakâne-Jarrell.

The festival’s theme is ‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hâlau ho‘okahi, “Not all knowledge is learned in one school.” Kumu hula and members of several hâlau hula will share their knowledge of hula kahiko, including chants, costumes, implements and adornments.

This event honors, preserves and perpetuates Hawaiian culture and supports Hawaiian programs, practitioners, hâlau and musicians. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/havo or call (808) 985-6011. This is a fee-free day.