Aloha in Abundance at Park's 37th Annual Cultural Festival & BioBlitz

Two dancers from Hālau Hula Ulumamo o Hilo Palikū perform at the cultural festival, Saturday, July 8, 2017

NPS Photo/Janice Wei

News Release Date: July 9, 2017

Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018

Sunny skies, outstanding views of Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, and an outpouring of aloha from all who participated in the Hawaiian Cultural Festival & BioBlitz, made for a joyful Saturday at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Although the official count isn’t yet available, park staff estimated that several thousand people, from keiki to kupuna, from local residents to first-time visitors, enjoyed the annual event that celebrates and perpetuates authentic Hawaiian culture. For the third year, the event connected people to science with BioBlitz field hikes.

The 37^th annual Cultural Festival and BioBlitz were held on the grounds of Kilauea Military Camp in the park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and park entrance was free all day.

The festival’s theme, Hilina‘i Puna, Kālele iā Ka‘ū, (Puna leans and reclines on Ka‘ū), celebrates the two land districts that comprise the park. The event was sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association, the Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

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Keiki look at invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles at an exhibit by the Big Island Invasive Species Council at the 2017 BioBlitz in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

NPS Photo/Janice Wei