Successful Festival a MUST for family calendars

The Queen Lili`uokalani Festival — held annually on the occasion of her birthday — is a MUST for any family’s fun calendar. If you missed it this year (Saturday, September 7) be sure to watch for it next year.

There is hula, entertainment, craft booths, demonstrations, children’s games, and good food just to name a few of the activities available in Lili`uokalani Gardens on Waiakea Peninsula in Hilo free all day long.

The Royal Order, Ka`ahumanu Society, Hale O Na Ali`i and other dignitaries begin the ceremonies.

flower drop during the mass hula courtesy of the Hawaii Tropical Flower Council and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters

More than 400 hula dancers from several halau begin the day-long festivities with E Lili`u E and The Hilo Hula.
Bill F. Eger photo

lots of activity in the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center tent

The big band stylings of Kahulanui closed the entertainment portion of the day around 4 p.m.
Bill F. Eger photo

The event is pulled together with a LOT of volunteer effort and the staunch support of The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Culture and Education and the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center.

Land for the gardens was set aside in April of 1917 in honor of Hawaii’s most recent Queen. She passed away in November of that same year at the age of 79. Construction on the garden began before the end of the year.

Royal interest in Japanese garden design dates back to the era of King David Kalakaua. There were Japanese gardens in Honolulu on royal properties by 1885. Hilo’s unique and substantial 20-acre Japanese garden was inspired by a 1914 visit to Japan by people active in economic development and beautification of the area. Japanese gardens were a popular design in the Victorian era.

Photographs in this blog otherwise not credited to other photographers are by K.T. Cannon-Eger. If you borrow, be nice and give credit.

Comments on this and other posts in this blog are welcome.