2018 Merrie Monarch Readies Stage, Parking

The dancers have practiced long and hard, the stage is set and the parking lot has been striped for the 2018 Merrie Monarch Festival, which begins on Sunday, April 1, with a Ho‘olaule‘a at the Hilo Civic Auditorium.

The Merrie Monarch is often called the “Superbowl of Hula” and parking at the event has always been challenging.

According to Merrie Monarch President Luana Kawelu, “The police have towed cars in the past and we don’t want that to happen again.”

Hawai‘i county just striped the newly paved parking lot; festival attendees need to be parked in the stalls or risk being towed.

According to Kawelu, the stage gets set up on the first Monday of March—this year, March 5, when a crew of about eight spent the week at Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium preparing the stage and arranging the seats.

This year, the county has taken away some booth space inside the civic that is normally used for the arts and crafts venue. These booths will now be set up outside, taking away valuable parkings space, according to Kawelu.

Where the Merrie Monarch Festival Royal Court will sit.

For more information on the Merrie Monarch, click here.