The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation. It features concert

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

s, parade

Parade

A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...

s, street parties called ho‘olaule‘a as well as various other special events planned for resident and tourist families. The Aloha Festivals are celebrated on six islands — Kauai

Kauai

Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...

, Oahu

Oahu

Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

, Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

, Molokai

Molokai

Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...

, Lanai

Lanai

Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....

, and the Big Island of Hawaii

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

 — over the course of six weeks in September and October.

Establishment

In the spirit of preserving the Hawaiian culture and heritage

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...

, the Aloha Festivals were established in 1946 as Aloha Week by former members of the local Junior Chamber of Commerce. The main highlight of the original Aloha Week was the presentation of the Royal Court and a floral parade, a two hour parade eastbound on Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue through Downtown Honolulu

Downtown Honolulu

Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, governmental, and central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District...

, Kakaako

Kakaako

Kakaako is the name of a commercial and retail district of Honolulu, Hawaii between Ala Moana near Waikīkī to the east, downtown Honolulu and Honolulu Harbor to the west. Kakaako is situated along the southern shores of the island of Oahu....

, Ala monarch.

Themes

Each year has a specific theme:

• 2009: Hula ("Let the Story Be Told")
• 2008: Hula ("The Art of Hawaiian Dance")
• 2005: Nā Honu Hawaii ("The Spirit Within")
• 2004: No Nā Kamalii ("For the Children")
• 2003: E Mau Ana Ka Hula I Ke Kanaka ("Hula Lives Through Its People")
• 2002: Ka Uhane O Ka Loea ("The Spirit of the Masters")
• 2001: Hoohanohano I Nā Holokai ("Honor the Voyagers")
• 2000: He Makana O Nā Lei Nani ("A Gift of Beautiful Leis")
• 1999: Hui Pū I ka Hula ("Together in Song and Dance")
• 1998: Ola Ka Ōiwi ("The Natives Endure")

Participation

Approximately 30,000 people volunteer to plan, organize and provide labor for the Aloha Festivals each year. Their efforts entertain over 1,000,000 people from throughout the state and visitors from all over the world.

Fundraising

Funding for the Aloha Festivals have been historically provided through a public corporation. The corporation collected donations with the distribution of elaborately decorated pins and ribbons — each island was represented by a distinctive color. Most recent Aloha Festivals have been funded through private corporate sponsorships. Currently, the Aloha Festivals are funded by Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...

and its parent company.

Resources

• Official website