Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Cheyenne Gomez, (808) 539-3409, [email protected] 

Island of Hawaiʻi (June 6, 2022) — Summer is almost here! And the island of Hawaiʻi is ready to welcome you with summer 2022’s perfect opportunity to warm up — or cool down — with vacation offerings ideal for wellness seekers or seekers of some simple rest and relaxation. Whether your idea of self-care is a heart-pumping outdoor experience sweating out stress — competing in a race through a Hawaiʻi forest, perhaps — or you’re more into low-key mind-nurturing options — like learning to weave lau hala (pandanus leaf) from a community artisan — the island of Hawaiʻi will fulfill your definition of wellness. You’re sure to find your preferred form of wellness experience exploring the island of Hawaiʻi’s charming small towns, endless outdoor activities, picturesque diversity of landscapes and climates, and much more.
 
You could even find clarity in seeking out the island’s multitude of events and cultural displays, and discovering its impressive range of delicious dining options, vibrant entertainment, and scenery-surrounded outdoor activities. A vigorous and uniquely picturesque outdoor challenge you’re unlikely to match anywhere else in the world, the annual Volcano’s ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Runs set participant runners on a half-marathon or 5K course through a lush ʻōhiʻa forest accompanied by breathtaking views of the island’s massive Maunakea and Maunaloa volcanoes. Applaud, cheer on and check out the skill and strength of paddlers competing in the cool blue waters off the Kona Coast at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Canoe Race, the world’s biggest long-distance outrigger-canoe race, and check out Hawaiian cultural displays at the Historic Kailua Village Cultural Walk and Queen Liliʻuokalani Cultural Fair. Sit back, relax and let the graceful sound of plucked acoustic guitar soothe your mind at this year’s 25^th annual Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival “Kona Style,” which honors and preserves the cultural importance of kī hōʻalu (slack-key) guitar. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

The North Kohala Kamehameha Day Celebration celebrates and honors Hawaiʻi's first King, Kamehameha I on June 11^th in North Kohala. A lei draping ceremony will be held at the original King Kamehameha statue where the statue will be draped in a 20-foot-long lei featuring an opening blessing, hula, history and music. Following the ceremony is the Traditional Paʻū Unit Parade featuring paʻū riders (women horseback riders) and horses adorned in flowers and colors representing each Hawaiian Island. While in North Kohala, take in the natural beauty of ocean cliffs and ranchland, visit breathtaking Pololū Valley and speak with one of the Pololū Valley Trail Stewards, and browse the area's many shops, restaurants and galleries. For more information, visit www.kamehamehadaycelebration.org. 

Laʻiʻōpua 2020 will celebrate the birthday of its double-hulled sailing canoe, also named Laʻiʻōpua, with a relaxing afternoon of cultural activities and a talk-story session on June 25, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at its Kona location at 74-5210 Keanalehu Drive. The birthday celebration will be free and open to the public, who are welcome to bring beach chairs and coolers. Chicken long rice bowls will be served. Guests are invited to enjoy cultural craft demonstrations through 3 p.m., followed by a talk-story session, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., focused on voyaging canoes and star navigation with Pwo master navigator Chadd “ʻŌnohi” Paishon and cultural specialist Pomai Bertelmann, hosted by Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba. Laʻiʻōpua captains and builders Rusty Kainoa Oppenheimer and Khelsea Uʻi Malakaua, will be on hand to showcase the sailing canoe, which was constructed to provide learning opportunities centered on canoe building, voyaging and community involvement. For more information, visit www.laiopua.org.

From June 26 through July 24, Hawaiʻi Performing Arts Festival (HPAF) returns for its first full season since 2019. The 2022 Festival, "A Season of Self-Discovery," includes a diverse offering of concerts and fully-staged musical theatre and operatic productions featuring Hair, Orpheus in the Underworld, and As One. All performances are presented at various venues across the island including Kahilu Theatre, Palace Theatre, Fairmont Orchid and more. On June 30, HPAF celebrates the rich culture of Hawaiʻi in a transcendent season opener at Fairmont Orchid, featuring performances by Hāwane Rios, Blayne Asing, Aunty Kaulu, and Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani. All proceeds will support the HPAF Scholarship Fund for local high school students. For more information, visit www.hawaiiperformingartsfestival.org. 

Each year, the small town of Kapaʻau on the northernmost tip of the island of Hawaiʻi hosts the Kohala Reunion. Founded in 2000 by a group of Kohala residents who enjoyed talking about the good old days, this year’s event is set for July 2 through 4 at the Kamehameha Park Complex in Kapaʻau. Kohala Reunion honors generations of residents from the Kohala area, celebrates the district, and perpetuates the community’s values, traditions and way of life. For more information, visit www.northkohala.org. 

Set for Independence Day, from noon to 8 p.m., Queens’ Marketplace’s free, open to the public Fourth of July celebration will feature live entertainment from local musicians, face painting, popcorn, cotton candy and lots of family-friendly activities throughout the day. For more information, call 808-886-8822 or visit www.queensmarketplace.com/events.

The biggest orchid show in the state, the Hilo Orchid Society Show and Sale is coming to Hilo July 29-31. Come and see displays of thousands of exotic orchids, buy gorgeous orchids from top orchid growers, and watch demonstrations on how to grow them. Admission is $5 per adult,  kids are free. For more information, visit www.hiloorchidsociety.org. 

Residents and visitors looking for a healthy, energetic challenge are invited to enjoy the annual Volcano’s ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Runs fun-run event on July 30, taking on its scenic course through an enchanting island of Hawaiʻi ʻōhiʻa forest with breathtaking views of Maunakea and Maunaloa volcanoes. Participating runners can opt for the event’s half-marathon or 5K courses. For more information, visit www.ohialehuahalf.com. 

The Queen Liliʻuokalani Canoe Race was founded in 1972 as a training event for the grueling Nā Wāhine o Ke Kai (women’s) and Molokaʻi Hoe (men’s) long-distance canoe races from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu. Happening this year from September 1-5, the Kona Coast-tracing race welcomes paddlers from around the globe to compete in the world’s largest long-distance outrigger canoe race. Other event activities will include a Historic Kailua Village cultural walk including a tour of Huliheʻe Palace, the Queen Liliʻuokalani Cultural Fair, arts and crafts, food booths, an event blessing, a torchlight parade, and a talk-story session with renowned paddling coach, canoe builder and paddler Johnny Puakea. For more information, visit qlcanoerace.com. 

The Kaʻū Coffee Trail Runs event, set for September 17, offers a challenging course for every level of runner, from keiki (children) to kūpuna (elders), winding the unpaved trails of the island of Hawaiʻi town of Pāhala. Participating runners take on a body-working race through 1,900 acres of coffee fields and macadamia nut groves surrounding the Kaʻū Coffee Mill and can choose between 50K half marathon, and 10K and 5K distances. For more information, visit www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com. 

A beloved music genre and style of guitar musicianship, slack-key guitar originated in the Islands in the 19^th century with paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys). Founded in 1982, the 25^th Annual Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival "Kona Style" happening on September 18, celebrates and perpetuates the cultural importance of slack-key guitar, known locally by the Hawaiian name kī hōʻalu, which refers to the “loosened” or “slack” tuning of guitar strings. The festival also features Hawaiʻi crafters, local food vendors, and festival merchandise. But the best part of attending may be simply sitting back and allowing the gentle sounds of live, acoustic slack-key guitar to relax your mind and reset your equilibrium. For more information, visit slackkeyfestival.com. 

Join artisan group Ka ‘‘Ulu Lauhala O Kona in celebrating the traditional Hawaiian art of lau hala (pandanus) weaving at the 25^th annual Lauhala Conference, set for September 21-24. Founded in 1995 by master lau hala weaver Elizabeth Maluʻihi Lee, Ka ‘‘Ulu Lauhala O Kona’s mission is to perpetuate the traditions and preserve and ensure the growth, of the traditional art of lau hala weaving. Highlights of the conference include weaving workshops, night weaving, a hōʻike featuring entertainment and a fashion show, a craft fair, and a silent auction. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/KULOKconference.

ACTIVITIES

With nearly four decades of entertainment experience, family-owned and operated Traditions Hawaiʻi recently unveiled its new Feast and Fire Lūʻau experience at Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa. The lūʻau, presented by the island of Hawaiʻi’s Lim and Yap families, is a homage to the ancient Polynesian voyagers who first settled in Hawaiʻi centuries ago and happens on 22 oceanfront acres with views of the Pacific Ocean. The lūʻau’s food menu features a selection of island-favorite delicacies. Guests are welcome to talk with local artists at the lūʻau’s artisan village and browse curated items for sale. The Feast and Fire Lūʻau happens Mondays and Friday evenings, from 5 to 8 p.m. For reservations, visit https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/okrluau/items/?flow=566462&full-items=yes.
 
Link to photos: https://app.box.com/s/1t61pvv8df6ck63o7qzaep5ktbfa232o 
Photo credit: Outrigger Hotels and Resort

Situated in a restored native rain forest, known today as the Niaulani Forest, the Volcano Art Center (VAC) provides an intimate experience for people to engage with Hawaiʻi’s unique land, plants, and rare birds through its beautifully restored Niaulani rain forest and nature trail. The Niaulani Trail Enhancement & Forest Fair Program provides four activities that educate visitors and residents about Hawaiʻi’s unique natural heritage. Activities include complimentary weekly guided nature walks through a rare, old-growth forest, Monthly Forest Work Days where a dedicated team of community members meet regularly to eradicate highly invasive species, such as kāhili ginger and tibouchina, and a Forest Fair happening on October 8. For more information visit www.volcanoartcenter.org. 

KUDOS/ACCOLADES

The island of Hawaiʻi’s Kahaluʻu Bay, also known as ‘āina lei aliʻi (lands that adorn the chief), has supported the community for centuries, providing food for residents and serving as a sacred link to Hawaiian ancestral heritage. More recently, the bay has also become a popular snorkeling destination for visitors from around the world arriving to experience its rich natural and cultural resources. On May 26, Kahaluʻu Bay was named a Hope Spot by international marine conservation nonprofit Mission Blue, becoming its 141^st Hope Spot worldwide and second in Hawaiʻi. Led by marine biologist, oceanographer, and author Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is an international marine conservation organization working to rally local and international support preserving and protecting marine ecosystems. Hope Spots are special marine environments scientifically identified by Mission Blue as critical to the health of the ocean. For more information, visit https://mission-blue.org/hope-spots/.
Link to Images: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IP4-QiE8XsLdrVvX-34y2mrMqIxSwP43  
Photo Credit: Please see the title of each photo at the link above.

Thanks to the earnest efforts of hundreds of Hawaiʻi school children and their teachers, state lawmakers, and conservationists, Gov. David Ige signed Hawaiʻi Senate Bill SB2059 into law on May 24, designating ʻōhiʻa lehua as the official Hawaiʻi State Endemic Tree. ʻŌhiʻa is the most common tree in Hawaiʻi’s forests and is found in both low and high elevations. The goal of the designation is to increase awareness of ʻōhiʻa and its importance and educating residents and visitors about the need to protect native forests from serious threats like Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. For more information, visit Hawaiʻi.gov/blog/2022/05/24/nr22-071/">dlnr.Hawaiʻi.gov/blog/2022/05/24/nr22-071/. 

The Pono Pledge video was recently awarded a Silver Telly Award. The video was done in both ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian) and English, two of the State’s official languages. The Pono Pledge is a public information campaign created in 2018 via an Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau (IHVB) and County of Hawaiʻi partnership to encourage pono (righteous) behaviors from visitors and residents. The pledge was translated into Hawaiian by Bruce Torres Fischer, a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo graduate student in the Hawaiian language and literature program, with assistance from Larry Lindsey Kauanoe Kimura, a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo associate professor of Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies. Kimura is also an internationally recognized pioneer of Hawaiian-language revitalization. Hilo’s own Lito Arkangel directed and produced the Pono Pledge video, which features Hawaiʻi Island residents who embody the pledge and apply it in their everyday lives. Hilo born and raised Tracey Niimi, principal of TN Photography, assisted with the video’s creative direction and videography. To view the video, visit www.ponopledge.com.

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About the Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau
The Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau (IHVB) is an island chapter of the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB). HVCB is contracted by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) for destination marketing in the continental U.S. IHVB supports our international marketing partners in Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Oceania; and collaborates with island partners — government, hospitality, and other industries — and the community to implement the island’s Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). For more information, visit www.gohawaii.com/island-of-hawaii.
 
Be safe, responsible, and mindful while enjoying and exploring the island of Hawaiʻi. Please read, sign, and share the Pono Pledge and encourage others to do the same. #PonoPledge

E ʻapo i ke aʻo a hoʻohana, a ē ʻoi mau ka naʻauao.
Those who apply their teachings increase their knowledge.