Hawaii
Lei Day tradition continues on May 1
HONOLULU — The annual tradition of love for native Hawaiian culture and the symbolic lei continues with the 96th Lei Day Celebration taking place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1 at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand.
In keeping with this year’s theme, the public is invited to “Komo mai kāu māpuna hoe” or “Dip your paddle in,” in other words, join in the effort. In this case, join in the fun and celebration as the skill and artistry of lei makers are showcased in the lei exhibit and local entertainment and hula halau take to the stage.
The Lei Day Court typically consists of one queen, first princess and princess. However, 2024 Lei Queen Tehina Kaʻena Kahikina will reign over this year’s festivities with her court of five princesses — Princesses Angela Jeanell Cezar Miranda, Makana Marie Wilson, Madison Kamalei Espinas, Sara No‘eau Campbell and Lulani Kaehulaniokekai Chung-Kuehu.
This isn’t the first time there have been more than two princesses.
“I can remember, just in my time, 2007, we had seven,” said Gina Loveland, a former employee with the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation from 2005 until after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They protested. That was the time of (Daveanne) Manu Anana; before they even competed, they clicked. So they informed us,” said Loveland with a smile. Wanting to stay together as a group, the women said they were willing to contribute in paying for any additional costs the larger group would incur. “Anana was almost like the perfect queen. She was inclusive,” said Loveland.
(Photo courtesy of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation)
Loveland said she was impressed by Anana who performed her dance at the Kapiolani Park bandstand on Lei Day, easily maneuvering up and down the bandstand’s many steps like “Dorothy Lamour on the stage.”
Although she has since retired from the department, Loveland — together with her husband, Dennis, also a former DPR employee — continues to attend the annual event and help where she can.
Over many years, Lei Day drew her in like a fisherman pulling in his net because of the culture, authenticity and mainly the people — staff, lei makers, residents and visitors.
Loveland joined lei-making classes, learning the different sewing methods, and also met master lei makers such as Brian Choy, his brother Reynold, and Bill Char. “They’re so humble. And they did actually grow plants for lei.” Loveland said there was an atmosphere of sharing and widening the circle. She said they used to go hiking to find different ferns for the lei, something she wishes she had experienced.
She also learned much about the native florals. “One year the featured flower (of Lei Day) was ʻaʻaliʻi. And I’m thinking, ‘What the heck does it look like.’” Today she knows it’s a “brush and it’s supposed to like the wind and is known for being strong because it’s being buffeted.”
(Photo courtesy of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation)
Those wanting to enter a fresh flower lei in the contest can do so between 7:30 and 9 a.m. at the Lei Receiving Booth on event day. Following the judging and official opening of the exhibit by the Lei Court, the public will get to view the exhibit from 1 to 4:45 p.m.
The public can also enjoy performances by the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lei Exhibit area, and artisans sharing their skills in the Kūlana Lei village. Vendors and event sponsors will also sell crafts, lei and food.
To Loveland, Lei Day is more than just an event. “Once I learned about the culture and met the people … it just really resonated.”
In addition to Lei Day, the public is also invited to attend the closing ceremony for the Lei Day Celebration that will be held the next day, May 2, at Mauna ʻAla (The Royal Mausoleum) at 9 a.m., and at Kawaiāhaʻo Church at about 10:15 a.m. Tradition calls for placing lei from the lei contest onto the graves of Hawaii’s aliʻi, royalty, at these two locations.
As much as Loveland enjoys the Lei Day Celebration, she deeply appreciates going to Mauna ʻAla and Kawaiāhaʻo Church. “I feel the respect, the origin (of Native Hawaiian culture). I also think most people think of lei as a tourist kind of thing.”
Loveland shares a story of one of her neighbors, a kūpuna named Austin, who was raised “Hawaiian style.” Whenever his mother or father went out to holoholo, Austin and his siblings would have to make lei for them. “Thatʻs why a lot of times when Austin — when he could walk — would come back with flowers all around his hat. He would pick flowers on the way. That was the culture,” said Loveland.
(Photo courtesy of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation)
“There’s an aura when you enter the grounds of Mauna ʻAla,” reflects Loveland. “There’s definitely an air of … I’m going to say peacefulness. I don’t want to say ‘somber’ because I don’t feel it’s sad. You can hear the pali, the traffic … but yeah, peaceful.”
Loveland says the crypt has been opened for the public to enter. “Dennis and I have gone down the steps with umbrellas helping the kūpuna.”
She explains that lauhala mats are put down first, then the natural lei — the lei made with yarn or other craft items are returned to their makers — from the lei contest exhibit are lined up on top of the mats. “The queen gets to choose first, then princesses, then staff, to give as hoʻokupu to the aliʻi.”
Loveland adds, “You go through an entryway and you can see the names engraved in the wall. There’s definitely awe … reverence. And definitely, history.”
Lei Day schedule:
- 9-9:45 a.m. – Performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band
- 10-10:45 a.m. – Kilohana Hula Show by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement presented by Southwest Airlines
- 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Lei Court Ceremony
- 1-1:35 p.m. – Ei Nei performance
- 1:50-2:25 p.m. – Hōkū Zuttermeister performance
- 2:50-3:25 p.m. – Hoʻokena performance
- 3:40-4:10 p.m. – Mana Maoli Youth Collective performance
- 4:10-4:45 p.m. – Hālau Hula ʻO Hokulani performance
Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.
Hawaii
Kanakaʻole, Zane ʻohana transform Hawaiian cultural practices into captivating visual arts | Maui Now
This powerful new exhibition will feature the work of Nālani Kanakaʻole, Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane—a Hilo-based family of artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in hula ʻaihaʻa.
Hula ʻaihaʻa is the low-postured, vigorous, bombastic style of hula that Kanakaʻole was known for as kumu hula of Hālau o Kekuhi. The hula springs from the eruptive volcano personas of Pele and her sister Hiʻiaka, characteristic of Hawaiʻi Island’s creative forces.
The Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, on Oʻahu is presenting “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” in the J. M. Long Gallery beginning on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
The exhibition title references “Kūhaʻimoana,” a chant describing the migration of shark gods from Kahiki (ancestral homeland) to Hawaiʻi. “Ea Mai ʻEiwa” reflects the strength, resilience, and environmental knowledge embodied in these ancestral stories.
Bringing together new and existing works alongside botanical specimens and cultural treasures from Bishop Museum’s collections, the exhibition weaves themes of migration, community resilience, and environmental stewardship—offering insight and inspiration for today.
“This exhibition demonstrates that the gap between historic collections and contemporary art is actually a lot smaller than people think,” said Sarah Kuaiwa, Ph.D., Bishop Museum curator for Hawaiʻi and Pacific Cultural Resources. “Audiences will see how the artists use the same materials as pieces in Bishop Museum collections but in different forms. The resonance between the artist’s work with mea kupuna (ancestors) is what makes ‘Ea Mai ʻEiwa’ a uniquely Bishop Museum exhibition.”
Kuaiwa curated the group exhibitions along with co-curator, kumu hula Kauʻi Kanakaʻole, and Bishop Museum exhibit designer, DeAnne Kennedy.
The artists’ work across visual and performing arts is continually charged and sustained by hula. From Nālani Kanakaʻole’s art direction and choreography to Sig Zane’s photography and textile design, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane’s graphic design and immersive installations, each artist channels ʻike (knowledge, wisdom) carried through generations.
“Through repetition, deep study, and consistent practice, mastery is achieved. As practitioners of hula, the artists have continued to deepen their understanding of the natural and spiritual world, which has in turn inspired their art practices,” Kuaiwa said. “They aim to produce art in various visual media not only to educate, but to also be aesthetically celebrated and enjoyed.”
“Patterns of Practice” was suggested by Sig Zane as a way of representing how the artists hone their skills.
“‘Kūhaʻimoana,’ for me, has many layers to it,” Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane said. “On a first take, it’s a migratory chant that compares migrations to waves of ocean-navigating sharks. That metaphor sets out the tone of connectivity between our natural environment and the beings that inhabit it.”
“‘Kūhaʻimoana’ is an example illustrating metaphorical depth within Hawaiian poetry,” said Sig Zane. “The importance of navigation surfaces in day-to-day cultural practices. This archaic chant reveals nuanced content, giving us a peek into hierarchy, dualities, and familial belief systems.”
Kanakaʻole passed away in January this year, so Kauʻi Kanakaʻole hopes that “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” reflects Kanakaʻole’s philosophy of practice and piques curiosity within people about others’ stories, history, and culture.
“She intentionally taught hula with depth of language, craft, and art form to encompass a full-on lifestyle commitment,” Kanakaʻole said. “This was her everyday; the way she learned, grew, and inspired.” “I would love for guests to leave (the exhibition) with a mixture of awe, appreciation, and curiosity.”
Highlights of the “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” exhibition include:
- Nālani Kanakaʻole’s kite installation, “Kūhaʻimoana,” her last large-scale installation before her passing
- Botanical specimens from various locations across Hawaiʻi Island, chosen to represent their hula ʻahu (altar) and sources of inspiration the artists frequently draw from
- Uniquely colored kūpeʻe (sea snails) shells made into adornments, as well as adornments made to look like kūpeʻe shells
- Kapa (barkcloth) made from the 19th century with dynamic designs
- ʻAwa (kava, Piper methysticum) cups and kānoa (kava bowl) associated with the aliʻi
- New and archival sketches and rubylith artworks by Sig Zane from 1990 to present
- A collection of family photos from the Kanakaʻole ʻOhana
- Memorabilia and ephemera from the theatrical performance, “Holo Mai Pele” (1995-2000)
“Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” will be presented in both ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English, and will be on view until Sept. 20, 2026.
For more information, visit bishopmuseum.org.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
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