Merrie Monarch Festival

Merrie Monarch Festival
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Name	Merrie Monarch Festival
Location	Hāna, Hawaiʻi Island — Hilo
Dates	annual, spring
Years active	since 1964
Founders	George Naope; Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club
Genre	Hula; Hawaiian music

Merrie Monarch Festival The Merrie Monarch Festival is an annual weeklong cultural festival and hula competition held each spring on Hawaiʻi Island in Hilo. Founded by George Naope and organized by the Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club, the festival celebrates hula as performed in both ʻauana and kahiko styles, honors Kalākaua through pageantry, and attracts practitioners, kumu hula, chanters, musicians, dignitaries, and tourists from across the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

History

The festival began in 1964 under the auspices of the Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club and cultural leaders including George Naope to commemorate King Kalākaua and the revival of Hawaiian monarchy era arts; early ceremonies referenced figures like Princess Likelike and institutions such as Iolani Palace. Over decades the event intersected with broader Hawaiian cultural movements including the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, collaborations with Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and exchanges with halau from Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and international delegations from Japan, Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand. Key historical moments included expanded televised broadcasts by KGMB and KITV, the introduction of juried competition panels with judges from Kamehameha Schools alumni networks and kapa makers associated with Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and evolving ceremonies referencing Kalākaua's coronation and royal protocol codified by cultural historians like Nathaniel Emerson and contemporary kumu such as Job Kapahu. The festival adapted through economic shifts tied to tourism cycles, volcanic events on Kīlauea, and partnerships with organizations including Hawaii County agencies and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

Festival Structure and Events

The weeklong program features a coronation-style pageant, a ho‘olaule‘a with vendors, a crafts fair showcasing ʻieʻie and kapa, educational hui, and nightly hula competitions held at the Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium and previously at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Events include nonprofit presentations by Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, workshops by kumu hula from Kumu Hula Council members, mele and oli sessions featuring chanters influenced by lineages connected to Queen Liliʻuokalani and chant historians like Māpuana de Silva. Demonstrations of lauhala weaving and ʻukulele performances recall contributions from figures linked to Duke Kahanamoku and practitioners trained at Kapiʻolani Community College. Special events have included film screenings of works by Haunani-Kay Trask-affiliated filmmakers and panel discussions with historians from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and curators from Hawaiʻi State Art Museum.

Cultural Significance and Hula Revival

The festival played a central role in the hula revival by legitimizing kahiko practice and perpetuating mele and oli traditions preserved by kumu such as George Naope, Edith Kanakaʻole, Ina Pualani Kanakaʻole, and later leaders from lineages tied to Nā Pua Mano and Hoʻolauleʻa networks. It fostered intergenerational transmission alongside programs at Kamehameha Schools and cultural units within Office of Hawaiian Affairs, reinforcing Hawaiian language use promoted by activists connected to the Hawaiian language revitalization movement and scholars like Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert. The event catalyzed scholarship by researchers affiliated with Bishop Museum and the University of Hawaiʻi Press, influenced museum exhibitions about Hawaiian performance, and promoted networked relationships with practitioners from Tahiti and New Zealand that enriched comparative Polynesian performance studies.

Competitions and Awards

Competitions are divided into divisions for men, women, and mixed halau with categories for kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern) hula. Judges often include kumu hula, chanters, and cultural practitioners representing institutions such as Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, and regional halau federations. Awards include the prestigious overall titles and trophies honoring founders and royal symbolism; laureates have included halau associated with prominent kumu like Edith Kanakaʻole lineages and contemporary winners linked to Hilo and Honolulu halau. Adjudication criteria reference mele, choreography, instrumentation, costume authenticity including kapa and lauhala elements, and oli performance drawing on standards articulated by cultural offices at ʻIolani Palace and archival protocols from Bishop Museum collections.

Organization and Funding

The Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club serves as principal organizer, working with a volunteer board, cultural advisors, and municipal partners from Hawaii County. Funding sources include ticket sales, sponsorships from corporations active in the islands such as regional branches of Hawaiian Airlines and hospitality groups, grants from philanthropic organizations including Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, fundraising events, and in-kind contributions from vendors and artisans associated with markets like the Hilo Farmers Market. The festival coordinates with county permitting offices, emergency services from Hawaiʻi County Fire Department, and cultural liaisons from entities such as Office of Hawaiian Affairs to ensure protocol and resource allocation.

Venue and Attendance

Primary venues have included the Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo and historical use of the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Annual attendance draws thousands of spectators, practitioners, and international visitors from Japan, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with peak audience demand causing ticket sellouts and waitlists managed by volunteer staff from the Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club and ticketing partners. The festival’s scheduling during spring aligns with maritime arrivals at Hilo Harbor and interisland flights via Hawaiian Airlines and Hawaiʻi Air charters, influencing local lodging occupancy at establishments tied to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Media Coverage and Influence on Tourism

Media coverage by local outlets such as Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald, statewide broadcasters like KITV and KHON-TV, and specialized cultural programs increased national attention through features in publications by National Geographic and documentary segments from independent producers connected to ʻŌiwi TV and PBS Hawaiʻi. Coverage has amplified cultural tourism, with tour operators, bed-and-breakfasts, and hospitality partners coordinating packages promoted through the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and travel agencies in Japan and the Mainland United States. The festival’s broadcast and streaming arrangements influenced the programming of cultural festivals elsewhere, inspiring exchanges with events in Samoa, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands.

Category:Hula Category:Festivals in Hawaii