Kamehameha Schools Kaiaulu invites the community to celebrate the life and legacy of Kamehameha III at the 23rd annual Kauikeaouli Festival this Friday through Sunday at Keauhou Bay in West Hawaii.
The birthday tribute will honor the progressive ali‘i who envisioned Hawaii to be a place of education and enlightenment.
Kamehameha Schools stewards 54 acres of ‘Aina Pauahi — legacy lands from founder Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Bishop — surrounding Keauhou Bay.
Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III, was the son of Kamehameha I and Keopuolani, his revered and highest-ranking wife. Keauhou Bay holds a special significance as a sacred pana ‘aina where distinguished leaders like Kauikeaouli and renowned Hawaiian scholar David Malo were born.
“This celebration is an opportunity for people to connect with ‘aina that was so precious to Ka Lani Kauikeaouli,” said Kilohana Hirano, Kamehameha Schools community strategist for Hawaii Island. “We welcome kanaka back to these culturally significant spaces.”
This year’s event partners are Kalanihale Miloli‘i, a nonprofit group from South Kona focused on youth education, environmental stewardship and cultural preservation, and Ho‘ala Kealakekua Nui, an organization dedicated to preserving Kealakekua Bay for future generations through restoration, education and outreach.
The theme for this year’s tribute is He Kiho‘iho‘i Kanawai — a modern application of restoring our natural resources. A panel discussion about the work in Hawaii Island communities to restore natural resources will be held 5 p.m. Friday at the Outrigger Kona Resort &Spa.
The festivities continue Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. with a craft fair and cultural workshops on la‘au lapa‘au, oli, ‘ulu recipes and coral gardening at the Outrigger Kona Resort.
Register for any workshops at www.kalanihale.org.
A free concert with mele and hula begins at 5 p.m., featuring Ka‘ikena Scanlan and These Guys, Miloli‘i Hula ‘Ohana &Serenaders, Chadd Paishon and Friends, Halau Kaulana Na Pua, and a taiko performance by Kona Daifukuji Hongwanji.
On Sunday, a special tribute by the Daughters of Hawaii and Kamehameha Schools will take place at Keauhou Bay, the historic birthplace of Kauikeaouli. A talk story session starts at 8 a.m. at SeaQuest with Shane Akoni Palacat-Nelsen, followed by a procession to Kauikeaouli’s birth site at 8:45 a.m. to offer ho‘okupu.
For more information on the festival and the life of Kauikeaouli, visit www.ksbe.edu/kauikeaouli.