This year's festival honors the park's centennial anniversary. Themed E Ho'omau (to perpetuate;to continue in a way that causes good to be long-lasting), the 36th annual cultural festival invites people of all ages to engage in authentic Hawaiian cultural practices and learn how native Hawaiians lived closely to the land as its stewards. Enjoy hula and music, watch skilled practitioners demonstrate their art, and try your hand at Hawaiian crafts. This year's festival will again include a "BioBlitz," a fun and hands-on opportunity to observe and document the biodiversity that thrives in the lava flows and native rainforests of Kīlauea Volcano, led by individuals and organizations at the forefront of conservation, science and traditional Hawaiian culture. Visitors can learn about the importance of conservation and biodiversity through interactive exhibits at the festival, and by discovering the plants, animals and insects in the park alongside scientists and alaka‘i (cultural experts) during a variety of field inventories. Sign up for the free field inventories, held at various times between 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., through the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website, http://www.fhvnp.org/bioblitz. When: Saturday, August 27, 2016 |
Last updated: April 20, 2017