(BIVN) – Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park will host its annual Hawaiian Cultural Festival on Saturday, June 28th. The date also marks the South Kona park’s 64th anniversary as a unit of the National Park Service.

The park entrance fee will be waived for this special event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From the National Park Service:

Our theme this year is, “E mau ana ka moʻolelo, let the stories be perpetuated.” This yearʻs theme will focus on the importance of perpetuating our moʻolelo traditions; the stories of our kūpuna passed down through the generations. Embedded within our moʻolelo is our history, our ancestral worldview, and the lifestyle and cultrual practices of those that came before us, which continue to guide us today in connecting to our environment and one another. The kuleana (responsibility) of continuing these practices lies with all of us.

Moʻolelo can take on many forms, including simply sharing the stories of our ʻohana with our keiki (children). Moʻolelo are kept alive through hula traditions, the recitation of our genealogies, and through the protocols involving ʻoli, pule and mele, used in the gathering of our precious resources and in our seasonal ceremonies. The methods and means of how we perpetuate moʻolelo can be limitless, but all are critically important to inspire a sense of place, value and purpose in our present day and well into the future.

This event will feature theme-related presentations in our amphitheater, cultural practitioners from Hawaiʻi Island sharing their crafts, hula performances, displays and information tables. The festival starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.

The 64th Cultural Festival will be a fun, family-friendly, event. A hat, sunscreen and water are recommended. To protect fragile resources and preserve the historic setting of the park, picnicking, coolers, and chairs are not allowed in the Royal Grounds. No food is available in the park.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association, Friends of Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau, and Nā Hoa Aloha o ka Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau.