This time of the year is extra-special for the people of the Big Island of Hawaii, where I live. This is the time when the Merrie Monarch Festival, the most prestigious of Hula competitions, is held. People not just from the other islands of Hawaii but even from other parts of the US as well as those from other countries flock to the city of Hilo, the Big Island’s capital. They join or watch the competition, exhibit the skills of their own dancers, check out the local vendors, sample local food, join the street parades and, just enjoy the festivities.
As early as 6 months before the festival, tickets to the 3-day competition (Thursday through Saturday) are sold out. Fortunately, festival organizers designate a “free” day (also called Ho’ikeDay) on the Wednesday before the competitions. During those Wednesdays, “halau” or hula groups as well as other cultural dance groups dazzle the public with their performances. I’ve seen dance groups from Mexico, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Samoa, and Tahiti perform in past years’ festivals.
Due to the limited seating, the venue supposedly only has about a 3,000 seating capacity, people line up as early as possible before the gates open. The Hawaii Tribune Herald reported that people started lining up at 4:00 AM yesterday
for the 5 :00 PM show. Many were in Hawaiian or aloha wear.
I was one of those who donned aloha attire and joined other Hawaiiana lovers in being part of the Merrie Monarch’s Ho’ike yesterday. I took pictures knowing that no amount of words can convey the excitement generated by the festivities. Patiently standing in line waiting to be admitted to the Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo, venue for the performances, was not, by any means, boring. I took pictures. Except for the first photo, all photos below are mine and untouched. I thought I’d skip editing the photos and post my blog before the story gets stale.
