MEDIA RELEASE

Due to the heavy rain and wind forecast with the arrival of Hurricane Hilda, the 43rd annual Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival, scheduled for Aug. 15-16 at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site is canceled.

The historic site is currently closed to the public as National Park Service archeologists conduct surveys to assess any damage to cultural sites from a brushfire that burned more than 4,650 acres in Kawaihae.

The archeologists will work through Wednesday, and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site will remain closed.

Superintendent Daniel Kawaiaea said the park will also be closed Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Hilda, and will reassess on Friday whether or not the park will open for the weekend.

The 43rd annual Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival will not be rescheduled this year. Instead, the public is encouraged to save the date for next year’s festival, scheduled for Aug. 13-14, 2016.

Next year also marks the 225th anniversary of the completion of the heiau in 1791, and the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service.

“We regret the inconvenience of having to close temporarily and for having to cancel the festival that so many enjoy,” Kawaiaea said. “As always, our priority is the safety of park staff, our visitors, and the practitioners.”

The site remains without Internet service, and the headquarters area is without power and water.