Inaugural Hāmākua festival celebrates history, legacy of sugar era on Big Island

Thirty years after the last local sugar plantation closed in 1994, a festival to celebrate and explore the rich history and legacy of the sugar era on the Big Island is underway.

The first Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival began on Oct. 5 and runs through Oct. 20, with plenty of fun and educational events.

The festival created by the Honokaʻa Heritage Center was born from the desire to honor the stories and people who built the economy and culture of the Hāmākua Coast.

“We’re finding that many people now don’t know that 90% of the economy in this region had to do with sugar and that it employed all the immigrant groups in Hawaiʻi at the time,” said Nicole Garcia, executive director of the Heritage Center. “While planning the anniversary celebration, we decided to make it big, so everyone could recognize the importance of the sugar industry to Hāmākua and throughout the entire island.”

The Honokaʻa Heritage Center began planning the festival after receiving a grant in the spring of 2023. It has worked closely with local organizations to create a community-driven lineup of events across Honokaʻa.

Last Saturday, about 700 former sugar workers and their families, some who traveled from out of state, gathered at a luncheon to talk story with one another. It led to the realization that the deep history of sugar plantations is being lost on the younger generations. 

“The festival is giving former sugar workers the opportunity to reconnect with their own stories and with each other as well,” Garcia said. “A monocrop economy is not a good thing, but it’s what created this community. The values that were fostered on the plantation are important for those who lived here during that time. And, we want to honor that.”

The Hāmākua County Fair will serve as the Hāmākua Sugar Days’ main event starting with a parade through Honokaʻa, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The excitement will continue all day with music, food and more at the Honokaʻa Park Complex.

A main stage will be set up at the park with live entertainment, including Halau Kuaunu, Ryan Hiraoka, Kingside, Pas and Sala, Hui Hoʻokani, the Honokaʻa Jazz Band and the Kalapana Awa Band. Parents can also expect an abundance of keiki activities, including a pumpkin patch, costume contest, races, STEM games, face painting and a bounce house.

Adults also can have a fun time in “Sugar Town,” which will take over the Honokaʻa County gym with vendors of all things sweet, a student art show, festival merchandise, lucky number drawings and commemorative pogs.

The Hāmākua Energy Agriculture and Sustainability Expo will be at the Honoka’a Park Complex as well with exhibitors offering information, activities and giveaways for attendees interested in exploring traditional and modern farming techniques and learning how to incorporate sustainable practices.

After looking back at old newspaper stories from the 1940s in Honoka’a, the Heritage Center has also planned a “Mutt Contest” to be held at 12 p.m. during the Hamakua County Fair at the former Bank of Hawaiʻi parking lot. 

“We couldn’t find a ton of details on the mutt contest, so we made it our own by making it a ‘most indistinguishable dog’ contest,” Garcia said. “All dogs are welcomed to register for the contest and we’ll have multiple prizes, including dog DNA kits and custom portraits for winning dogs.”

On Mamane Street, visitors can walk through the cultural village at the Honokaʻa Heritage Center, which will have exhibits and demonstrations. Former sugar workers are invited throughout the day to gather at the Honokaʻa Union Hall to share stories and record oral histories.

Free shuttles will transport attendees from remote parking lots throughout the event, so parking should not be an issue, Garcia said. 

“Sugar heritage is the same whether you’re in Hāmākua or elsewhere on the island, so we hope people come from all over to enjoy the day,” Garcia said. 

Throughout the weekend, the Honokaʻa People’s Theatre will be showing five free screenings of the Honokaʻa Heritage Center’s film based on its 2023 oral history project: “Roots of Resilience: Stories of Hāmākua Sugar.”

The one-hour documentary features compelling first-person stories from local sugar workers, their families and community members, which capture the profound impact of the sugar plantation era in Hāmākua. Screenings will be at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The week following the Hāmākua County Fair will be all about cultural heritage events to celebrate the diverse ethnic groups who immigrated to work on plantations, put down roots and contribute to the local culture that characterizes Hawaii today.

• Japanese Night will begin at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14 with a presentation by Dr. Patsy Iwasaki about Katsu Goto along with Japanese cuisine. The film, “Picture Bride,” will follow beginning at 7 p.m. at the Honokaʻa Peopleʻs Theatre.

• Portuguese Night will feature Portuguese games, food, demonstrations and exhibits from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Honoka‘a Heritage Center.

• Filipino Night will have a guest speaker on Filipino contributions to the labor movement, food and refreshments from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 16.

• Puerto Rican Night will be all about music with a meet and greet with John Guzman, a master cuatro maker and Katchi Katchi music to dance to at the People’s Theatre. Food and exhibits also will be featured from 6 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 17.

• Hawaiian Night, which was set for Oct. 18, has been postponed and not yet rescheduled. However, sugar workers will be honored at halftime during the Honokaʻa High School football game against Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy at 6 p.m.

The festival will conclude with a Plantation Golf Tournament at the historic plantation-era Hāmākua Country Club on Oct. 20. Players must pay to enter, but it will be free to watch.

According to the Heritage Center, the County of Hawaiʻi and several corporate sponsors have made this premier event possible with financial support, logistical assistance and donations.

For more information, a full schedule of events, or to register as a volunteer, visit hamakuasugardays.org.