Hawai‘i Kupuna Hula Festival returns to Kona following yearslong hiatus

The 38th annual Hawai‘i Kupuna Hula Festival kicked off Wednesday at the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa on the Big Island, as solo hula performers danced to live music in front of hundreds of spectators. 

The two-day festival, presented by the county of Hawai‘i Department of Parks & Recreation’s Elderly Activities Division, has returned this year for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We are so excited to revive the Kupuna Hula Festival after a three-year hiatus,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “So many of these kupuna have been instrumental in preserving and teaching these significant cultural traditions to younger generations.”

Twelve hālau and 275 participants from Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i and the State of Washington are participating in this year’s event. Participants were excited to come together, take the stage and celebrate hula.

“What an opportunity,” said Linda Elves, a festival participant from Ocean View. “What an opportunity to share our mele, our song, with all the people who come.” 

The theme of this year’s festival is “Na Manu O Hawai‘i – Our Native Birds of Hawai‘i.”

The festival – which includes a craft fair with vendors selling Hawaiian apparel, jewelry, artwork, and more – continued Sept. 12.