(BIVN) – The annual Queen Liliʻuokalani Festival will return to Hilo on the first Saturday of September. 

The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation announced that the He Haliʻa Aloha No Liliʻuokalani Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on September 6th in the Liliʻuokalani Gardens in Hilo. 

This will be the 26th year of the event. 

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

Queen Lili‘uokalani (Sept. 2, 1838-Nov. 11, 1917) was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The festival celebrates the Queen’s birthday and pays tribute to the historical significance of Lili‘uokalani Gardens.

photos from previous Queen Liliʻuokalani Festival courtesy the County of Hawaiʻi

The event will include music, hula, arts, crafts, food, demonstrations, children’s games, and cultural activities. Hundreds of dancers will perform a mass hula as floral blossoms are dropped from a helicopter provided by the Hawai‘i Fire Department. Darlene Ahuna, Taishoji Taiko, The Kipapa Sisters, and the Just Us Band will provide entertainment throughout the day.

Overflow public parking will be available at the Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lūʻau Hale parking lot, and the Hawaiʻi County Economic Opportunity Council will provide free shuttle service to the festival. Riders will need to provide their own car seats for keiki in compliance with current safety requirements; no riders will be allowed on laps. Car seats will be held at the shuttle stop location by staff until families make the return trip.

Lihiwai Street, from Banyan Drive to Isles, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, through 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.

In partnership with the County of Hawai‘i, and adding to the day’s activities to honor the Queen’s birthday, The Grand Naniloa Resort will have live entertainment at the Hula Lounge Lobby Bar and Ka Lihikai Restaurant. The entertainment, featuring The Longakits, Kamalani Kapeliela, and Stanley & Keoki, begins at 2 p.m. and continues into the evening.

photos from previous Queen Liliʻuokalani Festival courtesy the County of Hawaiʻi

The County of Hawaiʻi invites the public to attend this free festival coordinated in collaboration with private enterprises, community organizations, and numerous government agencies.

On behalf of the County of Hawaiʻi, we thank the Friends of Liliʻuokalani Gardens and the many private, public, and community entities and individuals that worked cooperatively to present this annual celebration in honor of Queen Liliʻuokalani.

More information may be obtained by calling the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Culture & Education Division at (808) 961-8706.