With some help from our friends at the Maui Visitor’s Bureau, we’re listing the top festivals and events for Maui Nui – Maui, Lanai and Molokai. As you can see, there are plenty of excellent celebrations and events throughout the year. JANUARY Hyundai Tournament of Champions PGA Tour champions from the previous year compete in this televised, season opening, golf tournament at Kapalua Resort’s stunning Plantation Course for a $5,600,000 purse. www.pgatour.com/hyundai This event is usually scheduled for the first full weekend in January after New Year’s Day. FEBRUARY Great Maui Whale Festival This celebration honoring humpback whales features special events and eco-activities all month, including The Great Whale Count, sponsored by the Pacific Whale Foundation. The Parade of Whales and Whale Day Celebration offer live entertainment, a craft fair and food booths at Kalama Park, Kīhei. www.mauiwhalefestival.org . In 2012, World Whale Day is scheduled for February 18. MARCH Haʻīkū Hoʻolaulea & Flower Festival This event celebrates rural life and benefits local youth education programs. Enjoy lei making demonstrations, a floral design contest, bake sale, arts and crafts show, farmers’ market, historical displays, games and live entertainment. In 2012, this event is slated for March 31. APRIL Celebration of the Arts This annual event pays tribute to the people, arts and traditions of Hawaiʻi, hosted by The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Enjoy hula performances, workshops in Hawaiian cultural topics and crafts. A Hawaiian lūʻau with traditional foods, music and hula highlight Easter weekend. www.celebrationofthearts.org 2012 dates TBA. Annual East Maui Taro Festival Hāna’s annual cultural event celebrates Hawaiʻi’s traditional food staple with an all-day festival featuring live music, hula, arts and crafts, Hawaiian games and food booths, plus a taro pancake breakfast. www.tarofestival.org In 2012, this event will be held April 21.
Continue reading...23. January 2012
If you’re hankering to go to Oahu, but not sure when to go, perhaps you’d like to go during one of the many excellent festivals. To help you, I’ve created this handy dandy list of Oahu festivals – which mixes in input from the nice folks at the Oahu Visitor’s Bureau, plus my opinion. Honolulu Festival
Continue reading...13. January 2012
What a beautiful sunset photo captured by Kathy Reeves after Friday night fireworks on Waikiki Beach . The colors of this sunset sky are simply amazing. I love scanning the transition of colors from purple and pink to peach Mahalo to Kathy for sharing her photo with us for Aloha Friday! © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...13. January 2012
What a beautiful sunset photo captured by Kathy Reeves after Friday night fireworks on Waikiki Beach . The colors of this sunset sky are simply amazing. I love scanning the transition of colors from purple and pink to peach Mahalo to Kathy for sharing her photo with us for Aloha Friday! © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...13. January 2012
What a beautiful sunset photo captured by Kathy Reeves after Friday night fireworks on Waikiki Beach . The colors of this sunset sky are simply amazing. I love scanning the transition of colors from purple and pink to peach Mahalo to Kathy for sharing her photo with us for Aloha Friday! © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...9. January 2012
Newly Renovated Rainbow Tower Corner King Oceanfront Room Waikiki Beach’s iconic Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village just got a $45 million makeover. Rooms were all refreshed with brand new furnishings, carpet, wall coverings, bathrooms, tubs, fixtures, draperies and artwork. Newly Renovated Rainbow Tower King Oceanview Room It’s always nice to enjoy fresh renovations, so now is a great time to book, especially with the Fireworks over the Rainbow package. The package includes a stay in a newly revamped Rainbow Tower oceanfront room, a $50 resort credit per stay, one bottle of sparking wine and a cheese and charcuterie plate to be enjoyed on Friday night while watching the resort’s famed fireworks display . The package is available for stays of three nights or more over a Friday night. Advance reservations are required and black-out dates apply. The package starts at $329 per night and can be booked under rate code P4 by calling reservations at the hotel directly at (808) 949-4321 or toll-free at 1-800-HILTONS. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...9. January 2012
Newly Renovated Rainbow Tower Corner King Oceanfront Room Waikiki Beach’s iconic Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village just got a $45 million makeover. Rooms were all refreshed with brand new furnishings, carpet, wall coverings, bathrooms, tubs, fixtures, draperies and artwork. Newly Renovated Rainbow Tower King Oceanview Room It’s always nice to enjoy fresh renovations, so now is a great time to book, especially with the Fireworks over the Rainbow package. The package includes a stay in a newly revamped Rainbow Tower oceanfront room, a $50 resort credit per stay, one bottle of sparking wine and a cheese and charcuterie plate to be enjoyed on Friday night while watching the resort’s famed fireworks display . The package is available for stays of three nights or more over a Friday night. Advance reservations are required and black-out dates apply. The package starts at $329 per night and can be booked under rate code P4 by calling reservations at the hotel directly at (808) 949-4321 or toll-free at 1-800-HILTONS. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...2. January 2012
The 2012 New Year will ring in several new State measures, including Hawaii’s civil unions law. Other measures include a law that provides workplace protections for domestic or sexual violence victims, a law that allows for anonymous filings in a court of law, as well as several new insurance provisions. Hawaii Independent. President Barack Obama and his wife and friends dined at Nobu’s Waikiki tonight on the eve of the first family’s departure. Star-Advertiser. Same-sex couples make it official as civil unions become legal in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Four Hawaii same-sex couples celebrated civil unions just after midnight Sunday at a party in east Honolulu. Civil Beat. Final decorations are going up at a Hawaii Kai home to celebrate as four local couple’s say “I do” in the state’s first civil union’s ceremony. KITV4. Public schools and state Department of Education offices tucked away $34.2 million last fiscal year to carry over into this one, as they tried to build up rainy-day funds or save for textbooks, electronics and other purchases, a new report to the state Legislature shows. Star-Advertiser. A special commission that the Legislature created to oversee the distribution of federal stimulus funds has found a mixed bag of results. Tribune-Herald. Though Native Hawaiian eighth-graders have shown improvements in reading and math proficiency, they continue to lag behind their non-Native Hawaiian peers, a new study finds. Star-Advertiser. Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday released more than $63.7 million for capital improvement projects, including $16 million to build student housing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Pacific Business News. Nearly three years after the Hawaii Superferry suspended its operations, state Rep. Joe Souki hopes to restart discussion about an interisland ferry system with legislation he introduced earlier this year. Maui News. State Roundup for Jan. 2. Associated Press. Innovators and leaders in Hawai`i’s technology sector have been working for more than a decade to bring kama’aina home. The focus is on keeping some of Hawai`i’s best and brightest closer to home. Hawaii Public Radio. Oahu Will former Governor Benjamin Cayetano become Mayor Cayetano in 2012? Hawaii Reporter. Tripler Army Medical Center has agreed to become a trauma center for the treatment of nonmilitary residents on Oahu, providing relief to the Queen’s Medical Center, which is the only civilian trauma center on Hawaii’s most populated island. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu’s special events coordinator has resigned, after an investigation revealed numerous violations of city ethics policies. KITV4. Honolulu fire officials say there were no severe fires started by fireworks New Year’s Eve and dispatch calls were down slightly from last year, but they still saw a significant number of illegal aerials. Hawaii News Now. What’s open and closed for the New Year holiday. KHON2. Hawaii Occupy Hawaii Island Protesters Gather Near Pelosi’s Vacation Resort. Hawaii Reporter. New Year’s came and went without a single fireworks-related incident reported in West Hawaii to the Fire Department, as of 11 a.m. Sunday, said West Hawaii Battalion Chief Reuben Chun. West Hawaii Today. Maui Gov. Neil Abercrombie released more than $63.7 million for capital improvements projects, including $7.5 million for Maui projects. Maui News. Maui Visitor Spending, Arrivals Continue Growing. Maui Now. Kauai As the new year was about to begin, council members and Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. reflected on achievements and challenges of the old year and looked ahead to 2012. Garden Island.
Continue reading...30. December 2011
As 2012 nears, we at Go Visit Hawaii want to wish you Hau’oli Makahiki Hou, the Hawaiian way to say happy new year ! If you’re one of the lucky ones visiting the Aloha State for the New Year’s holiday, check out this roundup of New Year’s Eve fireworks and celebrations across Hawaii .
Continue reading...28. December 2011
Humpback whale NOAA courtesy photo Humpback whale aficionados have an opportunity to help scientists keep tabs on a growing population in the nation’s primary mating and calving grounds. West Hawaii Today. President Barack Obama and his family spent a warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon at one of the most popular snorkeling spots on Oahu, where they released four green sea turtles into the water. Associated Press. Some Americans are bothered by President Barack Obama’s decision to take a million-dollar vacation to Hawaii during these tough economic times. Hawaii News Now. Gov. Neil Abercrombie suffered from dizziness on Friday, preventing him from greeting President Barack Obama when he arrived in Honolulu. KITV4. Abercrombie’s First Year, According To Abercrombie. Civil Beat. Some 100 Hawaii clergy and other potential officiants have learned how to obtain online licenses to perform civil unions beginning just after midnight Sunday, offering a hint of the potential scope of civil unions in the islands. Star-Advertiser. Shortly after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day, Gary Bradley and Paul Perry will be among the first couples in the state to enter into civil unions as soon as a Hawaii law goes into effect. Tribune-Herald. Trustees of Hawaii’s public pension system are finalizing proposed legislation aimed at preventing employees from “spiking” their pay to dramatically boost retirement benefits. Civil Beat. Hawai`i’s Filipino Cultural Center is the largest of its kind outside of the Philippines. Filcom is organizing statewide donations through three banks in Hawai`i to help provide disaster relief to typhoon survivors. Hawaii Public Radio. The Professional and Vocational Licensing Branch will hold extended hours on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 to accommodate those needing to renew their licenses before the end of the year. KHON2. State roundup for Dec. 28. Associated Press. Oahu The International Market Place, Waikiki Town Center and the Miramar at Waikiki Hotel will be demolished and redeveloped into a new three-level retail, dining and entertainment center beginning in 2013 — a long-awaited project expected to cost up to $300 million and revitalize an aging but iconic six-acre block in Hawaii’s main tourist hub. Pacific Business News. A highly restrictive fireworks law has put a damper on the first New Year’s Eve — traditionally Hawaii’s biggest annual fireworks celebration — under the new city ordinance, say fireworks shoppers. Star-Advertiser. The closure of two Oahu hospitals is having a ripple effect on the medical community. KITV4. City Not Rushing To Implement “Sidewalk Law”. KITV4. Hawaii A “rare treasure” of Hawaii island property containing spring-fed pools connected to Kiholo Bay in North Kona has been donated to The Nature Conservancy by the son of hairstyling company founder Paul Mitchell. Star-Advertiser. The heir to a hairstyling and hair-care products dynasty has donated seven acres of land on the North Kona Coast to The Nature Conservancy. Tribune-Herald. A Hawaii resident best known for manufacturing hair care products has donated seven acres of land on the North Kona Coast to the Nature Conservancy. KHON2. Hawaii County Council meetings will not be held at the West Hawaii Civic Center until contractors make long-overdue fixes, Council Chairman Dominic Yagong said Tuesday. West Hawaii Today. North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago headed home Tuesday, after spending two days hospitalized on Oahu. West Hawaii Today. The state is considering appealing a Big Island judge’s recent decision to allow a project in South Kohala to move forward. Civil Beat. Maui Maui residents are not holding back on spending money on fireworks for New Year’s Eve. Maui News. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has awarded more than two dozen homesteads to Native Hawaiian families. Maui News. A 45-day public comment period has started on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement filed for the proposed Kihei High School in South Maui. Maui Now. The state is proposing the construction of an enclosure fence around approximately 2,350 acres of native remnant koa forest on the Leeward side of Haleakala. Maui Now. Kauai A civil complaint against the Kaua‘i County Council brought by two of its council members was dismissed in 5th Circuit Court on Tuesday. Garden Island. The last of the “five side-men” is leaving the Kaua‘i Police Commission. Garden Island.
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24. January 2012
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