A week of daily events serves up festivities celebrating Hawaiian food, cultural practices, music, dance, history and sports competition in honor of Prince Kuhio's birthday March 19 - 27.
Prince Kuhio, known for dedicating his life to the future of Native Hawaiian people, will be celebrated during a week of events surrounding multiple themes between March 19 and 27 on Kaua`i. Most events lead up to Prince Kuhio's birthday, March 26, a Hawai`i State holiday.
Festivity themes for the Prince Kuhio Celebration surround Hawaiian food, history, music, dance, cultural practices and sports competition.
- Food events include a royal Hawaiian dinner and Hawaiian fashion contest, an "island treats" tasting and a lu`au. Events providing historical perspectives consist of "talk story" sessions about salt-making, native flora and fauna, Hawaiian proverbs, ancient practices plus commemorative ceremonies celebrating Prince Kuhio.
- Music and dance will be provided through ukulele lessons, slack key guitar entertainment, kahiko (ancient) hula lessons, Hawaiian music, keiki (children's) hula, taiko drummers and a performance by the powerful male pa hula (hula troupe) Na Kane O Keoneloa.
- Cultural demonstrations will embrace native Hawaiian arts such as kapa-making, feather weaving, frond weaving nose-flute carving and lei-making.
- Sports competitions will include the Prince Kuhio long-distance canoe race and the Prince Kuhio amateur boxing championships.
Top left - Lei-stringing will be taught during cultural demonstrations slated for March 23rd and 26th at the Prince Kuhio Celebration on Kauai. Photo by Margy Parker
Top right - Na Kane O Keoneloa Pa Hula will be performing during the Prince Kuhio Celebration on Kaua`i at the Grand Hyatt Kaua`i Resort and Spa on March 26th: Photo by Anne E. O'Malley
Bottom - The Prince Kuhio Celebration on Kauai will offer hands-on demonstrations of Native Hawaiian cultural practices, such as how to make kapa (tapa). Photo by Margy Parker
Many of these festivities are located at the Grand Hyatt Kaua`i Resort and Spa in Po`ipu. Other event locations will be Kalapaki Beach, Kaua`i Beach Resort, Kaua`i Veterans Memorial Hall, Kukuiula Village, Marriott's Waiohai Beach Resort, National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Plantation Gardens Restaurant, Poipu Beach Park and Prince Kuhio Park.
Many events are free of charge.
Prince Kuhio, in line for succession to the throne before the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, was famous for his work to perpetuate the Native Hawaiian culture and preserve Native Hawaiian practices. Serving in the U.S. Congress for 10 years, Kuhio led the effort to establish the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. He was called Ke Ali`i Maka`ianiana (prince of the people).
