WEST HAWAII TODAY | BIG ISLAND ENTERTAINMENT SCENE FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | 3 The art of hula 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival gets underway Sunday WEST HAWAII TODAY The 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival, a weeklong celebration of the art of hula, gets underway Sunday in Hilo. The festivities include art exhibits, craft fairs, demonstrations, performances, a parade, and a three-day hula competition that draws thousands from around the world to Hilo. Merrie Monarch week commences at 9 a.m. Sunday with a hoolaulea featuring a lineup of local halau. The free event will be offered at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, which is located off Manono Street. Free mid-day entertainment will be offered Monday through Friday at noon at Hilo Naniloa Hotel and at 1 p.m. at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. The Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. This free event features products by local artists and crafters, as well as live entertainment. An exhibition night of hula and folk dance from around the Pacific, the festival’s Hoike Performances gets underway at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Edith Kanakaole Stadium on Kalanikoa Street. The performances are free to the public. Twenty-three halau will take part in the main hula event, held nightly Thursday through Saturday, with 14 in only the wahine group competition; three in the kane group competition and six entering both the kane and wahine competitions. Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua of Hilo dances during the 2016 Merrie Monarch Festival group hula ‘auana competition. HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD, FILE This year’s judges are Ainsley Halemanu, Rachel Lahela Ka‘aihue, Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele, Etua Lopes, Pi‘ilani Lua, Keali‘i Reichel and Kalena Silva. Ten young ladies will compete Thursday for the title of Miss Aloha Hula at Edith Kanakaole Stadium. The event starts at 6 p.m. and features individual competition for the title with contestants performing hula kahiko, hula auana and oli (chanting). Tickets are required to attend this event. Both men and women will dance in Friday night’s hula kahiko (ancient hula) and Saturday night’s hula auana (modern hula) competition. The event starts at 6 p.m. both nights; tickets are required. An awards ceremony will be held following competition Saturday evening. At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, 2017 Miss Aloha Hula Participants • Leilani Nicole Wilson • Julyen Machiko Kaloke Kaluna • Amanda Hiwalei Aliser • Miriam Anuhea Kamakanaokealoha Hokoana Arakawa • Ashlyn Kahelelani Ma‘a • Chelei Kameleonalani Kahalewai • Ariana Ka‘ano‘ikehaikulo‘ihia Kalilioku Akaka • Leila Noelani Ku‘uleimomi Rodrigues • Leimakamae Maura Kea •Kelina Kiyoko Ke‘ano‘ilehua Tiffany Eldredge 2017 Participating Halau and Judges • Halau Hula Olana, Na Kumu Olana and Howard Ai and Shelsea Ai Apana (wahine) • Halau I Ka Wēkiu, Na Kumu Karl Veto Baker and Michael Casupang (wahine and kane) • Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Kumu Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento (wahine and kane) • Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa‘ahila, Kumu Maelia Loebenstein Carter (wahine) • Halau Ka Liko Pua O Kalaniakea, Kumu Kapua Dalire-Moe (wahine) • Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, Kumu Mapuana de Silva (wahine) • Halau Hula ‘O Kahikilaulani, Kumu Nahokuokalani Gaspang (wahine and kane) • Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka, Kumu Napua Greig- Nakasone (wahine) • Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, Kumu Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin (wahine) • Hula Halau O Kou Lima Nani E, Kumu Iwalani Kalima (wahine) • Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, Na Kumu Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o (wahine) • Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, Na Kumu Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla (wahine) • Halau O Ka Hanu Lehua, Kumu Kamaka Kukona (wahine) • Halau Manaola, Kumu Nani Lim Yap (wahine) • Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Na Kumu Tracie and Keawe Lopes (wahine) • Kawaili‘ula, Kumu Chinky Mahoe (wahine and kane) • Pukalani Hula Hale, Kumu Hi‘ilei Maxwell-Juan (wahine) • Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, Na Kumu Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes (wahine and kane) • Halau Hula ‘O Napunaheleonapua, Kumu Rich Pedrina (kane) • Ke Kai O Kahiki, Kumu La‘akea Perry (kane) • Kawai‘ulaokala, Kumu Keli‘iho‘omalu Puchalski (kane) • Halau Hula O Kauhionamauna, Kumu Denise Kauhionamauna Kia Ramento (wahine) • Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, Kumu Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan- Darval (wahine and kane) • A temporary one-way traffic pattern will be in effect starting Wednesday on Kalanikoa Street in Hilo for the 54th annaul Merrie Monarch Festival. • Traffic will be allowed to flow in the makai, or northerly direction on Kalanikoa Street, between Piilani and Kuawa streets, during take to the streets for the annual Merrie Monarch Royal Parade. The parade begins and ends at Pauahi Street. It winds through downtown Hilo via Kilauea Avenue, Keawe Street, Waianuenue Avenue and Kamehameha Avenue. The Hoike and competitions will be televised on K-FVE, as well as streamed live online at http:// merriemonarch.com/live-streaming Wednesday through Saturday. Wednesday’s coverage “Backstage at the Merrie Monarch” runs from 8-9 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, coverage runs from 6 p.m. to midnight with the Miss Aloha Hula Competition on Thursday and the Hula Kahiko Competition on Friday. Saturday’s coverage of the Hula Auana Competition runs from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday. Info: www. merriemonarch.com. ■ the festival. The one-way traffic pattern will remain in effect 24 hours per day starting at noon Wednesday and ending at 8 a.m. Sunday. • Motorists traveling in a westerly direction on Piilani Street will be allowed to turn right onto Kalanikoa Street. Left turns will also be allowed onto Kalanikoa Street from Piilani Street. • Both right and left turns will be allowed to oneway traffic on Kalanikoa Street to access the Hoolulu Complex and businesses in the area. • Regular two-way traffic will remain in effect on Manono, Kuawa and Piilani streets.
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