Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, April 1, 2018 3
2018 Merrie Monarch Festival
Perpetuating a
Halau Hula Ka Lehua
Tuahine dance in the 2017
kahiko competition.
Tribune-Herald file photo
cultural renaissance
Merrie Monarch
By JOHN BURNETT
out and lines for tables at Hilo restaurants.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald Most of the visitors are here for
the three-night hula competition, the
t’s Easter Sunday, the start of Merrie
festival’s crown jewel. Thursday night is
Festival opens
IMonarch week, and the 55th Annual
Miss Aloha Hula competition, for solo
Merrie Monarch Festival kicks off
wahine dancers. Friday night is the group
today with the free Ho‘olaule‘a at Hilo’s
hula kahiko (ancient hula) competition.
Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
The competition wraps up Saturday night
The Civic also will host the Merrie
with group hula ‘auana (modern hula)
with pulse on
Monarch Hawaiian Arts and Crafts Fair
and the awards ceremony, which run
from Wednesday through Saturday.
into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Hawaiian music, hula and cultural
It wasn’t always that way, however.
demonstrations will occur at various
In 1968, the festival was floundering and
Hawaii’s past Hilo locations throughout the week.
the Chamber of Commerce, which took it
Merrie Monarch week is Hilo’s busiest
over from the county in 1964, considered
week of the year, with hotels, bedand
breakfasts and vacation rentals all
at maximum occupancy, rental cars sold
See FESTIVAL Page 4