The Merrie Monarch Festival

The Merrie Monarch Festival is dedicated to the memory of King David Kalakaua, known as the Merrie Monarch. King Kalakaua came to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1874 and reigned until his death in 1891. He was a patron of the arts, especially music and dance.

Kalakaua almost single-handedly restored many of the nearly extinct cultural traditions of the Hawaiian people. These included myths and legends, and the hula, which had been forbidden by the missionaries for over 70 years.

Ancient Hawaiians had no written language. Instead, all communication beyond the spoken word took place in the form of chants and the dance called hula. Hula and its accompanying chants recorded Hawaiian genealogy, mythology, and prayers of the heart and mind. The hula was the means by which the culture, history, stories and almost every aspect of Hawaiian life was expressed and passed down through generations.

This festival began forty years ago by the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce and continued by the private Merrie Monarch Festival community organization. The major purpose of the festival is the perpetuation, preservation, and promotion of the art of hula and the Hawaiian culture through education. The festival is considered the world's premier forum for people of all ages to display their skills and knowledge of the art of ancient and modern hula.

The Merrie Monarch Festival is committed to:

1) Perpetuating the traditional culture of the Hawaiian people;
2) Developing and augmenting a living knowledge of Hawaiian arts and crafts through workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and performances of the highest quality and authenticity;
3) Reaching those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate; and,
4) Enriching the future lives of all of Hawaii's children.

The week-long festivities begin with a Ho'olaulea (music festival) on Moku Ola (Coconut Island) on Easter Sunday and continues all week with free noon-day entertainment at the Hawaii Naniloa Resort and the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel on Banyan Drive. On Wednesday, there is a free exhibition night at the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium that begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday is the solo Miss Aloha Hula Competition, Friday and Saturday are the group Kahiko (Ancient) and 'Auana (Modern) hula competitions. There are arts and crafts fairs on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at several locations. The big Merrie Monarch Royal Parade winds through downtown Hilo at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Except for the hula competition, the events are free.

The 41st annual Merrie Monarch Festival always begins on Easter Sunday and this year will run from April 11 to 17, 2004.
http://www.merriemonarchfestival.org