Celebrate Hawaii at Aloha Festivals

In 1946, Aloha Week was created by a group of Jaycees as a cultural celebration of Hawaii’s history, music and dance. Since then, it’s morphed into a variety of festivals including more than 300 events across six Hawaiian islands that are attended by a million people annually.

Even if you’re not already scheduled to be there, it’s not too late to make arrangements. The festivals are usually held through September and October, with different events on each island.

Some of the highlights include:

The investiture of the Royal Court at Pu‘uhonua o H?naunau National Historical Park, falsetto singing/storytelling and a paniolo parade on the Big Island (where events run from Aug. 27 to Sept. 25).

A hoolaulea (huge block party) and a floral parade on Oahu (where events run from Sept. 1-24).

Get a jump start on learning about Hawaii’s arts and culture, whether or not you plan to be at the festivals this year. The more you know, the better you can understand the aloha spirit.