Thursday, February 22, 2024
Nate Serota: (808) 768-3046
Experience Hawaiian voyaging traditions at the 15th Annual Kualoa/Hakipu‘u Canoe Fest!
Event scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, rain or shine
O‘AHU – Ocean-goers of all skill levels are once again invited to venture out to Kualoa Regional Park to experience the Polynesian voyaging tradition during the 15th Annual Kualoa/Hakipu‘u Canoe Festival!
This sea-faring event is scheduled for Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, near the park’s Campground A. The event will launch with a commencement ceremony and oli (chant), with activities and booths opening just after 11 a.m.
The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, along with numerous voyaging & educational organizations, are proud to organize this annual event. The event is free and open to ocean-goers of all ages. The public is invited to come and enjoy this immersive Hawaiian cultural experience which includes: a variety of paddling & sailing activities, educational booths, navigation lessons, and so much more. Food booths are also available on-site.
Of the many event highlights, attendees can interact with numerous wa‘a (canoes) and their experienced crew from around the Hawaiian Islands, weather and safety conditions permitting.
Mahalo to the many participating organizations taking part in this festival! Confirmed attendees include:
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· Puakea Foundation · Hakipuʻu Academy & the Hoe ʻOhana · Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy · Kamehameha Schools · Kūlaniākea – Kaʻihekauila Sailing Canoe · Polynesian Voyaging Society · ʻUhane Hemolele Piʻikea |
· BYU Lāhui Waʻa · Nā Kama Kai – Kūmau Sailing Canoe · Wounded Warriors & Navy Single Sailors · Lāhui o Koʻolauloa · I Nui Ke Aho – Wanana Paoa Sailing Canoe · Punahou School – Kamaola Sailing Canoe · Polynesian Cultural Center |
As a result of the festival, Kualoa Regional Park Campground A will be closed for camping from Friday, March 8 through Monday, March 11, 2024. Campground B will remain open, however campers should be aware that there will be a significant increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic within the park.
This will be the 15th year this cultural voyaging event has been offered to our island community, with the event cancelled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a virtual canoe fest in 2021, and the return of an in-person event in 2022. The videos included in the virtual festival are still available online on DPR’s YouTube Channel: bit.ly/DPRyoutube
For over a decade, this festival has sought to highlight and continue Hawai‘i’s oceangoing traditions, and is frequently blessed with a visit from the Hōkūleʻa and numerous other voyaging organizations and their vessels, such as the Kānehūnāmoku. The event also serves as a birthday celebration for the Hōkūleʻa, commemorating her initial launch from the sacred shores of Kualoa/Hakipuʻu in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, on March 8, 1975.
We hope to see you Kualoa!
If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.
—PAU—
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