Cultural

Gourmet food, top-notch live music and wine tasting are just part of the agenda at this award-winning festival. It begins on a Thursday evening with a cocktail reception. Two of the weekend's highlights are a charity golf tournament and an auction. Each event in the festival requires a separate reservation; prices vary. Most dinner events average USD70 per person; tickets to the golf tournament are usually USD135 per person. Proceeds go to Shriner's Hospital for Children and the Pacific Marine Life Foundation. Visit the Web site for details.

The quaint town of Holualoa is known as a bit of an artist's retreat, a throwback to other decades. However, once a year practically everyone in town, plus a good many out-of-towners, take to the streets for a parade. Dozens of local businesses enter floats in the parade; spectators get to vote on their favorite. Afterward, everyone adjourns to the Holualoa Inn for live entertainment and a small crafts fair. The parade is admittedly small-kind - that's part of its charm.

Although Hawai'i has not been a monarchy for many years, its people continue to celebrate that part of their cultural heritage. King Kamehameha was responsible for unifying the islands just after the time of the first European contact. This celebration of his birthday, which is sponsored by Malia Puka O Kalani Church, features Hawaiian arts and crafts, live music, food and a theater performance commemorating events of Kamehameha's life. Entrance to the celebration is free.

This country fair lets you have a good look into the real Hawaiian culture, with local music, food and crafts on offer. The prime highlights of this October festival remain the 'silent auctions' and the 'Spam carving contest'. Also, various other entertainment programs and contests give you an entire day of fun and activity with your whole family!

This extended celebration recognizes the richness of all things Hawaiian through spotlighting local music, cuisine and dance. Boasting what some consider to be Hawaii's premier hula competition (quite a distinction, but not unchallenged), the Festival features both ancient and modern forms of hula. Awards are given to the best group and solo performances. A celebratory parade is held in Hilo Town on the final day of the event. Tickets go on sale in January. Ticket prices start at USD5 (for general admission to a single event).

Held at the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau Historical Park, the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau Annual Cultural Festival is a celebration of the Hawaiian culture, arts and the lifestyle. The City of Refuge is the perfect picturesque setting to be a part of the events like canoe building. Attend talks and exhibitions by carvers and weavers, sample traditional Hawaiian food and participate in hukilau, the traditional fishing event. If not anything, you can at least Hula, can't you?

This weekend-long celebration of Polynesian dance, song, crafts and cuisine is sponsored by a variety of local and national businesses. Musicians, dancers and artists from Tahiti, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico and the Mainland United States will all be featured in the dance competition. In addition, drumming and dance workshops will be open to spectators.

Animal preservation activists have timed their "independence day" to coincide with the celebration of U.S. independence. Groups of turtles are raised in the ponds of Mauna Lani. Upon reaching an age of maturity, around three to four years, they are released into the ocean, where they flourish with other turtles. Over the past dozen years or so, this project has been quite successful in its mission to preserve the lives of the beloved marine animals. Not surprisingly, it has also gained quite a bit of popularity with humans. Admission is free.

What better place to watch some of the nation's best NCAA Division I basketball teams go head-to-head than Hilo? College's brightest players look forward to the tournament as much as local fans and the University of Hawaii-Hilo players, who take on the country's top seven ranked teams. The tournament's 12 games are played over three days at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Tickets are USD7 reserved and USD5 general admission.