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Big Island singer Hawane Rios will be the headliner at this year's Ho‘olaule‘a. The free concert takes after the parade at Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel beginning at 11:45 a.m. Hawane Rios is a young leader and activist in her community who believes deeply in the healing vibration of music and the power of awareness and unification that it can bring (I ka piko o ke aloha). Recipient of the Big Island Music Award in the Hawaiian Language category, Hāwane was raised in the small ranching town of Waimea, Hawaiʻi. She attended the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus then went on to further her education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, earning her bachelor's degree in Hawaiian Language from Ka Haka ʻUla ʻo Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language. Upon…

Hula dancer and historian Michaela Larson will be this year's Pa‘u Queen at the King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade in Historic Kailua Village on Saturday, June 14, 2014. For many years, Michaela was the solo dancer at the Mauna Lani Resort, Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont Orchid. Currently, she is the resident historian for Body Glove tours in Kona. Throughout her life on Hawaii Island, Michaela has ridden pa‘u in many parades in Kona and Kohala. A former elementary school teacher in Waimea, Micheala prides herself on imparting knowledge and Hawaiian cultural tradition to the keiki. Her theme for this year's parade will be La‘akea Kealaka‘i O Kealoha ("guided by the sacred light of love"). Her choice of attire and colors will be reminiscent of the Victorian era of the Hawaiian monarchy,…

[caption id="attachment_583" align="alignleft" width="199"] Tiare on horseback, while Barbara Nobriga demonstrates the proper placement of the pa‘u around the foot.[/caption]Kupuna, kumu, mentors, horses and parade participants gathered at Kona Historical Society on Saturday, April 26, for a workshop on the finer points of the pa‘u equestrian tradition. Check out the photos of wahine learning to wrap pa‘u, as well as horsemanship and lei-making sessions.[caption id="attachment_577" align="alignleft" width="300"] Learning to wrap pa‘u[/caption][caption id="attachment_576" align="alignleft" width="199"] Nikki works on her lei-making skills[/caption][caption id="attachment_579" align="alignleft" width="199"] Pa‘u workshop at Kona Historical Society[/caption]

Come to the Pa'u Workshop at Kona Historical Society, Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Participants in this year's King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade will learn the fine points of the Hawaiian equestrian tradition known as "pa‘u." Workshops include lei making for horse and rider, the wrapping of the pa‘u (skirt) and riding protocol. Lunch will be served. The workshop will be taught by local equestrians and historians Barbara Nobriga, DeeDee Bertelmann, Hannah Springer and more. The public is invited to attend. For information, call Barbara Nobriga at 322-9944.

[caption id="attachment_547" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Anna Akaka"][/caption] The daughter-in-law of Senator Daniel Akaka, Anna Akaka, will lead the way as the 2013 Pa‘u Queen at the upcoming King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade in Historic Kailua Village on Saturday, June 15. Anna was born and raised in Hilo. She has accepted the role of this year's pa‘u queen as a way to honor the memory of her late mother, Valentina Lui-Kwan, who recently passed away at age 92. Anna is married to Danny Akaka, Jr., son of retired Senator Daniel Akaka (HI-D). Danny serves as director of cultural affairs for Mauna Lani Resort.    

Retired Hawai‘i Senator Daniel Akaka will be the grand marshal of this year's King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade, taking place Saturday, June 15 beginning at 9 a.m. in Historic Kailua Village. Accompanied by members of his Hawai‘i Island family, the senator and his wife, Millie, will be traveling down Ali‘i Drive via horse-drawn carriage. The annual floral parade will feature decorated floats, hula halau, marching bands, mounted equestrian units, and the beautiful pa‘u princesses on horseback representing the eight major islands of the Hawaiian Island chain. Leading the pa‘u units will be this year's parade pa‘u queen, Anna Akaka, the senator's daughter-in-law. Anna is married to the senator's son, Danny Akaka, Jr., who serves as director of cultural affairs for Mauna Lani Resort. The parade travels down Ali‘i Drive beginning at…

After the King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade on Saturday, June 15, enjoy a FREE concert at Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel featuring top Hawaiian recording artist, Nathan Kawai Aweau. The only artist to earn three Hoku Hanohano "Male Vocalist of the Year" awards, Nathan has won Hoku awards for "Best Jazz Album" (Bass Etude), "Best Contemporary Hawaiian Album," and "Song of the Year" (E Apo Mai).   Additionally, he was a guest artist on two Grammy-nominated projects: 2009 Slack Key Kings Vol II, and Amy Hanaiali‘i's Friends and Family, featuring one of his original songs performed as a duet. The founding member and principal vocalist for the musical supergroup Hapa for 8 years, Nathan also played bass for singer Don Ho for 16 years. This year's King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade takes…

A two-day Pa‘u Workshop will be held at Kona Historical Society on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Held in conjunction with the upcoming King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade on June 15, 2013 in Kailua-Kona, the workshop begins on Saturday with instruction in lei making for riders' and horses' lei, as well as the proper flowers and foliage used for each Hawaiian island. On Sunday, topics will include history of pa‘u, wrapping of the garment, equestrian skills and parade protocol. A panel of Hawaii Island kupuna will be on hand to share their knowledge and stories. Open to the public, the workshop is designed for parade participants who will be riding in the traditional Hawaiian equestrian style known as "pa‘u," which is characterized…

This year's King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade will feature a team of miniature horses from the Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawai‘i's (THH) Kona Program. The two miniature horses, better known as Peaches and Calypso, have brought a whole new dimension to the Kona program. Kona Program Director Nancy Bloomfield started the Big Island THH in 2005, which has grown to 38 student participants and 16 volunteers. A pediatric physical therapist herself, Nancy says the addition of the miniature horses has really benefitted the younger riders, who can easier learn to groom, lead and work with a smaller animal. The miniature horses are also being utilized as therapy animals in the community at large, visiting special education classes, the senior center, Arc of Kona, the Regency Special Care Unit and Kona Adult…

Click on our photo gallery of the 2011 King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade.