Niu Festival: A ho‘opono event coming to downtown Hilo this weekend

Hui ʻOihana – Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce invites the community to Niu Festival: A Ho‘opono Event in Hilo, a free, full-day cultural and educational gathering centered around niu — the humble coconut — which is often referred to as the “tree of life.”

The festival is scheduled for Sunday (Feb. 22), beginning with morning activities on Haili Street — which will be temporarily closed adjacent to the Palace Theater — and concluding inside the Palace in downtown Hilo.

Community members are invited from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to participate in hands-on cultural practices, educational stations, meaʻai (food) and demonstrations that highlight the cultural, agricultural and environmental significance of niu.

The festival continues at the Palace Theater — with doors opening at 2 p.m. — for a program weaving together cultural expression and storytelling. It will include a hula presentation by Hālau Unuokeahi, reflections and teachings from Manulani Aluli Meyer and screening of the documentary “Niu Forever.”

The film will be presented by its director and producer Alex Cantatore, whose work focuses on environmental, social and spiritual well-being through place-based storytelling.

The evening will also feature insights from Indrajit Gunasekara, a niu expert with a 3,000-year lineage connected to coconut cultivation, use and stewardship.

“Niu Festival is about more than a single day or event — it’s about remembering our relationship to niu as a source of life, food security, cultural continuity and collective responsibility,” said Hui ʻOihana – Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce President Misty Carter in a release about the upcoming festival. “At the same time, we are facing real and urgent threats, including the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle. This gathering creates space to educate our community, share ʻike aand strengthen awareness around how we protect niu through stewardship, prevention and collective action.”

Niu Festival is a communitywide event, bringing together culture, education, environmental awareness and economic resilience. ʻOhana, keiki and kūpuna are all encouraged to attend.

It is free and open to the public.

“Through practice, storytelling and education, we are engaging ho‘opono truth, balance and mutual emergence to guide how we care for our lands, our people and future generations,” Carter said.

Contact Hui ʻOihana – Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce via email at piko@huioihana.com for additional information, questions or partnership inquiries.