63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival kicks off Sunday in Hilo with the Ho‘olaule‘a

Hawaiian arts and culture will come alive in Hilo on Sunday, with the Ho‘olaule‘a (celebration) to kick off the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch hula festival.

The opening day celebration at the Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium features hundreds of dancers performing hula, chanting and presenting tiki that represent Hawaiian deities.

“It is a sight to see,” said Kumu Hula Etua Lopes from Kailua-Kona.

The Sunday performances start at 9 a.m. at the auditorium. However, Lopes recommended arriving at 5 a.m., saying there was no parking in the area by 7 a.m. Admission is free.

Events continue daily throughout the week.

Lopes is one of the judges for the competition, which runs Thursday through Saturday, April 9-11.

He has judged the competition in the past and has also entered the festival as a competitor with his group Hālau Hula Na Pua U‘i o Hawai‘i.

Looking back on Merrie Monarch through the years, Lopes said it feels like a dream.

“I’ve seen all of those hula greats,” Lopes said. “I’ve seen all of their performances at Merrie Monarch. That was my greatest teaching, too.”

Lopes has been part of the festival in some way since its beginnings, when the competition was first held in the Civic Auditorium. At 17 years old, Lopes was living in Hilo and learning hula under Hula Master George Na‘ope, one of the founders of the Merrie Monarch Festival.

During those early years of the festival, Lopes said he would volunteer to sweep the auditorium just to catch a glimpse of the performances the dancers were rehearsing. He also entertained as a hula dancer during the festival.

“I got to see very special performances just for when they’re practicing, and then at the actual performance,” he said.

The competition outgrew the Civic Auditorium and moved to the Hoʻolulu Tennis Stadium, which was renamed the Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium in 1978, where it is still held today.

Merrie Monarch Festival President Luana Kawelu said hālau from the outer islands have been flying to the Big Island to practice on the roughly 56-foot-wide by 46-foot-long stage for the day, then returning home.

Hālau from California arrived early this week.

Kawelu said she always is nervous about the festival and is hopeful that everything goes smoothly.

“One year, we had the power go out during one of the competition nights for about an hour,” Kawelu said. “I worry the whole time until the last hula performance.”

Kawelu has been part of the festival all her life and worked with her mother, Dottie Thompson, who was the first festival president.

“Luana has a big job because she overlooks everything,” Lopes said. “She has a good crew. She stood next to Auntie Dottie for many years, and her daughter (Kathy) stands next to her now.”

The festival also includes live hula performances daily at the Grand Naniloa Hotel and Hilo Hawaiian Hotel at noon, Monday through Friday. There will also be pop-up artisan markets at Nani Mau Gardens, Prince Kūhiō Plaza and Sangha Hall throughout the week.

The official Merrie Monarch Hawaiian Arts and Crafts starts Wednesday at Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium & Butler Buildings.

Hōʻike night is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Edith Kanakaʻole Multipurpose Stadium. The free event is an exhibition night of hula and folk dance from around the Pacific.

The festival’s capstone is three days of competition, featuring 19 hālau (hula groups) performing kahiko (ancient) and ‘auana (modern) hula to the world, and 13 women will compete for Miss Aloha Hula.

The competition kicks off Thursday with solo performances from women competing for the Miss Aloha Hula title. Groups will take the stage on Friday for kahiko and Saturday for ‘auana.

Winners of the group competition will be announced Saturday night.

The competition will be broadcast on Spectrum Channel 1006/06 and Hawaiian Telcom Channel 1006/06. It also will be livestreamed on Hawai‘i News Now and the official Merrie Monarch website.