#hoike night

Before donning your Aloha wear best or that new designer outfit to show off at tonight’s Hōʻike, check out some of the other events happening throughout Hilo during festival week.

The prequel to the festival’s 3 days of hula competition, which kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday with the individual Miss Aloha Hula contest, also celebrated Native Hawaiian culture by honoring 40 years of efforts by ‘Aha Pūnana Leo to revitalize and normalize ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language). The festival also collected donations to help recovery efforts in Lāhainā, Maui, after a deadly wildfire devastated the community in August 2023.

Check out where the Easter Bunny will be hopping around the island this weekend and get ready to celebrate everything hula and Hawaiian during the 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo.

Generations of kāne and wāhine dancers taught by the late Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho will take the stage tonight to honor him at Hō‘ike Night, which kicks off the 60th Merrie Monarch Festival.

Whatʻs happening on April 12 at the Merrie Monarch Festival? Check out our official and unofficial list of events.

A limited live audience returned to the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium Wednesday for the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival’s Hōʻike night.

Merrie Monarch Festival moves forward with its regular presentation and 59th anniversary – after a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no live audience in 2021. Some live audience will be allowed this year and only a fraction of tickets were sold to the public.

Merrie Monarch Festival moves forward with its regular presentation and 59th anniversary – after a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no live audience in 2021. Some live audience will be allowed this year and only a fraction of tickets were sold to the public.

Merrie Monarch Festival’s Hōʻike Night is sold out.

Organizers for the Merrie Monarch Festival announced tickets for the event’s Wednesday night Hōʻike go on sale on March 15.

Wednesday signals the opening of the Merrie Monarch Hawaiian Arts and Crafts Fair, as well as live hula performances at the Edith Kanaka’ole Tennis Stadium.

Fifty years of hula, halau hula (or hula schools) of years past will be honored on the stage at this year’s Ho’ike night 2013 at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival.

Every year this sold out event draws thousands of people to the Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium for a week of hula competition and connection to native culture.