Pan-Pacific Festival hoolaulea kicks off busy weekend for Waikiki
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Thousands of people jammed Kalakaua Avenue Friday evening for the annual Pan-Pacific Festival Hoolaulea.
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The event marked the start of a very busy weekend for Waikiki.
“Forty-three years ago we needed more tourists to come in during the slow season, and so it started as the ‘Matsuri in Hawaii,’” said Pan-Pacific Foundation board chair Christine Kubota. “So it started with a lot of groups from Japan showing the cultural aspects of their background in Japan.”
“We’re thinking about our history, the two, Japan and Hawaii,” said Hawaiian cultural advisor Leilani Kahoano. “There has always been this very strong relationship with each other,” one that she said started during the reign of King David Kalakaua.
While there are a lot of locals in the crowd, visitors staying in Waikiki can’t help but get caught up in the experience.
“In terms of the liveliness and the experience that I’m getting here, it’s very nice. I’m learning a lot about the culture as well,” said Rama Razavi, a visitor from Toronto, Canada.
“The participation of people who come from Japan is great, from people from all over the world come to these festivals right here in Hawaii,” said longtime local entertainer Kimo Kahoano.
“It’s been a wonderful experience at the beach, it’s gorgeous. So we’ll be back, for sure,” said Daniel Palmer, also visiting from Toronto.
It’s also the weekend for the annual Kamehameha Day floral parade, which will make its way from Iolani Palace beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. It will wind down Kalakaua to Kapiolani Park, where a hoolaulea will be held.
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Then there’s the Pan-Pacific Festival Parade itself, which will go down Kalakaua Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by more hula on the beach.
“To be able to share this street, Kalakaua, with our Japanese guests and the organizations that are here to support them, it’s nice that we were also to bring mention to our Kamehameha weekend,” said Leilani Kahoano.
While having these events is a positive and fun experience for many, it can also disrupt Hawaii’s tourism hub.
“When you block down all of those streets, it just makes it a nightmare for traffic, for cars, and deliveries as well,” said Jerry Agrusa, a professor at the U.H. School of Travel Industry Management.
This is the first year of a new law that reduces the number of events that shut down Kalakaua Avenue. The city is allowing 14 legacy events to continue to use the thoroughfare, including the Pan-Pacific hoolaulea and both of this weekend’s parades.
“We were scared for a little while, but we said we’ve been doing this for 40-plus years, please let us stay,” said Kubota. “And so yes, now we’re a legacy event and so we’re not so worried any more.”
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