Hawaiian Cultural Festival is back this July!

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (KHON2) — Save the date for the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s Hawaiian Cultural Festival.

The cultural festival is back and better than ever!

On Saturday, July 22, the 39th annual Hawaiian Cultural Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kahuku in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

“We are delighted to bring back the beloved Hawaiian Cultural Festival this year,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. “The festival is an opportunity for the whole family to have fun while connecting to Hawaiian culture first-hand.”

The festival promises an amazing time with Hawaiian and island-inspired music by renowned performers including Kenneth Makuakāne, Russell Mauga, the Kīpapa Sisters and Kaʻū favorites, Keʻaiwa.

There will be hula performances with halau participants being announced in June, and festival goers will be able to try their hand at traditional Hawaiian crafts.

“The 39th annual Cultural Festival will be a fun-filled, family-friendly day that shares the connection of Hawaiian people to the ʻāina,” said a representative for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

There will be food and refreshments available for purchase, and you can bring your own picnic for the day.

Festival goers will an opportunity to learn about conservation through fun, interactive exhibits sponsored by leading conservation organizations on the festival grounds which are located on the southwestern slopes of Mauna Loa in Kaʻū.

Festival organizers are encouraging festival goers to wear sunscreen and to wear a hat. They are also suggesting that folks bring water, rain jackets, and ground mats or chairs.

This is free to the public and is a drug- and alcohol-free event.

The festival’s theme is E Ho‘omau which means “to continue”.

Kahuku is located on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. It is a 50-minute drive south of the park’s main entrance.