What was your favorite part of the Merrie Monarch Festival? Take our 30-second poll #8

The historic 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival came to a close Saturday night after the awards for the group hula competition were handed out to the winning hālau.

The stage and Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo on the Big Island might now be quiet, but the memories made during the wonderful weeklong celebration of hula and Hawaiian culture will last for years to come.

“This is a great festival,” David Fender replied to a recent post on the official Merrie Monarch Festival Facebook page. “King David would be proud!”

Commenting on the same post, Celest Swann said: “I’ve never had [the] sweet honor of being on the island but I soooo love and respect the culture of such [incredibly] beautiful and dedicated people! Thank you for sharing with us! I’ve watched for some time.”

People came to Hilo from throughout the state, mainland and around the globe to take part in and enjoy the festival dedicated to the “Merrie Monarch” himself, King David Kalākaua. Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green was one of them. He and his wife Jaime attended Hōʻike Night, the popular non-competitive exhibition of hula, on April 12. They also took in the official Merrie Monarch Hawaiian Arts & Crafts Fair while they were in town.

“Magic is in the air at the Merrie Monarch Festival,” the governor said in a Facebook post that day. “This event is a cultural expression of who we are, heard around the world.”

For seven days, from the Hoʻolauleʻa and opening ceremonies on Easter Sunday to the Hōʻike, Miss Aloha Hula, group hula competition, the arts and crafts fair, the Royal Parade and everything else that kept the world busy — and sometimes on the edge of its seat waiting to learn who won the Super Bowl of hula — it definitely was magical.

Whether you watched online or sat directly next to the stage, we’re sure you had fun. But what would you say was your favorite event?

The poll runs until April 21. Leave a comment below or on social media to let us know why you voted the way you did. Or if you think we left your Merrie Monarch fave off the list, let us know what it is and why.

The results of the poll will be published April 23.

Additional photos from the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival.