LAHAINA >>The 2023 Festivals of Aloha, like the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival, will continue despite the Maui wildfires to provide a way for displaced residents to keep their culture alive.
Daryl Fujiwara, who is with Lokahi Pacific, a nonprofit organization that has been organizing the annual Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival and Festivals of Aloha in Maui, said the festivals were postponed about a month. But the two-month calendar of events kicked off Oct. 13 at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Shopping Center, with an evening of Hawaiian cultural exhibits, hands-on activities, Hawaiian music and hula. Events wind through Hana, Wailea, Kapalua, Molokai and Lanai.
The theme of this year’s festival, “Kahuli leo le‘a — Ho‘ola o ka wao,” means sweet-voiced kahuli — savior of the forest, and honors the kahuli snail, which face serious threats and without intervention could become extinct in the next decade.
Fujiwara said this year’s festival also has had to undergo significant changes to survive.
“Because of the wildfires that devastated our Maui, the festival faced numerous scheduling challenges, and so we’re pushing back and running from October-November with Hana and Wailea really anchoring the festival this year,” Fujiwara said. “We thrive on challenges, especially when they’re in service to our community. The Expeditions Lanai Ferry, now departing from Maalaea, is operating on a limited schedule and the emergency proclamation. Nevertheless, we’ve united creatively to ensure the festival perseveres.”
More events are slated to begin today in Hana, and will run through Oct. 29. Wailea will host events starting Friday with a concert series at the Shops at Wailea featuring John Cruz and will run through Oct. 29 with a free sunset concert at the Four Seasons Maui.
On Nov. 4, Lanai will hold a parade and hoolaulea at Dole Park. Kapalua is hosting the Richard Ho‘opi‘i Leo Ki‘eki‘e Falsetto Contest on Nov. 11 at the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. Molokai will offer a Hawaiian music concert Nov. 14.
“Instead of calling it a celebration, we are finding different words to use this year,” said Fujiwara, who had deep ties to Lahaina and comes from a family with a long history around planning Hawaiian community events. “It’s about just keeping traditions alive, because really that’s the premise about what this whole festival is about. It’s not about putting on a show for tourists; it’s so our people have a place to continue to see and live our traditions.”
Fujiwara’s great-grandmother Elaine Mullaney helped to start the Aloha Festivals on Oahu. Her daughter, Fujiwara’s grandmother Edwina Smythe, brought those traditions when she came to Maui. Fujiwara said Smythe’s daughter, Crystal Smythe, his aunt, eventually took over the event and then passed the torch to him.
“I’ve been involved with these kinds of celebrations since 1999,” Fujiwara. “I normally do about seven major events a year, like the Festivals of Aloha, and in between that I have other, smaller events.”
He said this year’s festival was made possible with the support of the County of Maui Office of Economic Development; Hawaii Tourism Authority; Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau; Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua; Hana-Maui Resort; Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; Maui Health; Kanile‘a Ukulele; Hana Farms; Hulunani; Goodfellow Brothers; Keauhou Shopping Center; Hana Business Council; Hasegawa General Store; Missing Polynesia; Maui No ka ‘Oi Magazine; Lahaina Hawaiian Civic Club; Pulelehua; Lahaina Restoration Foundation; Lahaina Town Action Committee; Expeditions Lana‘i Ferry; and Lokahi Pacific.
Fujiwara said planning a festival this year in the wake of so much grief is challenging, but in the end it’s about “what is grounding you to your aina and your people — it’s the values and the traditions. It’s family, first and foremost. Who is going to be there when things get tough? It’s all the work you don’t want to do but is necessary for the greater vision, the bigger vision.”
He said lessons were learned when the decision was made to pivot the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival, which is usually held under the iconic Lahaina Banyan Tree, to a virtual experience. The event went live Aug. 12, just four days after the devastating Lahaina town fire that killed at least 99 people and destroyed some 2,200 structures, mostly houses.
Fujiwara said his first instinct was to cancel the hula festival; however, he said his boyfriend said, “No, you have to do it. The world needs hula now more so than ever to heal.”
He said a kupuna, who had learned hula from Emma Farden Sharpe, who had strong ties to Lahaina through the Farden family, also encouraged him to continue the tradition.
Fujiwara said as a hula dancer, their words resonated with him. “I know the power that comes from exerting the strength to dance and how it can help to add to your prayers to energize and be stronger.”
He said various Maui halau participated in the Facebook Live event, which garnered 300,000 views across the globe and was a tribute to Emma Farden Sharpe and to Lahaina.
The event, which provided a link to the Hawaii Community Foundation, served as one of the first Maui wildfire fundraisers, Fujiwara said.
Though some criticized the timing of the hula event as insensitive, he said it was meant to “uplift.” After all, Fujiwara said, in the words of David Kalakaua, “Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.”
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FESTIVALS OF ALOHA, MAUI NUI
For the most current and up-to-date information, visit FestivalsOfAloha.com.
Hana
Today, Hana Ballpark
>> Parade — 11 a.m., with the Hana Royal Court, floats, grand marshal, marching band, Zenshin Daiko (taiko), followed by a magic show
>> Ho‘olaule‘a — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., local food and handmade-in-Hawaii artists and vendors
>> Sports Night — 5 to 9 p.m., tennis, volleyball, corn hole and other games
Sunday
>> Keiki/Wahine Shoreline Fishing Tournament — 7 a.m. to noon
>> ‘Ohana Beach Day, ‘Ohana Play Day games — noon to 5 p.m., Hana Bay
Monday
>> Sports Night — 5 to 9 p.m. at Hana Ball Park
Tuesday
>>Traditional Lei Making Class — 3-5 p.m. at Hana-Maui Resort. Reserve seats by calling Kane Kanakaole at 808-264-1094.
>> Karaoke Night at Hana Bay — 5-9 p.m. Sign up by calling or texting Poerava at 808-670-1200.
Wednesday
>> Floral & Lei Contest — Entries 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Hana-Maui Resort
>> Kupuna Luncheon — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hana-Maui Resort. Reservations required, contact Kimo at 808-270-3284
>> Ulana Niu: Coconut Weaving Workshop — 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Hana Farms
>> Teen Night — 6-9 p.m. at Hana Bay – DJ music, interactive games, aloha attire contest and more
Thursday, Hana Bay
>> Hana Arts’ Annual Talent Show Registration begins at 4 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. program. Six categories with more than $2,000 in prize money. Call Hana Arts for details at 808-248-5769.
Friday
>> Po Hawai‘i: Hawaiiana Night
>> Ulu, Pohole & Poke Contest — 3-6 p.m. at Friday Hana Farmers Market
>> Aloha Attire Contests — 6-10 p.m., Hana Bay
Oct. 28
>> Cross Country Golf — 2-4 p.m., Holani Hana
>> Ho‘ike Night — 5-10 p.m., Hana Bay
Wailea
>> Ke Kani Hone o Wailea — 5:30 p.m. Friday. A concert series at the Shops at Wailea featuring John Cruz, shopsatwailea.com
>> Hula Is the Heartbeat — 6 p.m. Oct. 28. Hula concert at Four Seasons Maui.
>> Sounds of the Sea — 5 p.m. Oct. 29. Free sunset concert at Four Seasons Maui.
Kapalua
>> Richard Ho‘opi‘i Leo Ki‘eki‘e Falsetto Contest — Nov. 11, Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua
Lanai
>> Nov. 4 — Parade and hoolaulea at Dole Park. Enjoy hands-on activities, local eats, crafters and live entertainment.
Molokai
>> Nov. 14 — “Mahalo Moloka‘i” at Hiro’s ‘Ohana Grill at Hotel Moloka‘i. Hawaiian music concert.
