HONOLULU (KHON2) — The 84th annual Nā Hula Festival made its return to the Kapiʻolani Park bandstand on Aug. 3.
Organized by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation, the festival highlighted the beauty of the cultural performance.
For students of Hula Hui O Kapunahala, the celebration of the art form is a key component in preserving culture and uniting communities.
“It’s important to keep the culture alive,” student Dylan Cooper said. “It shows that hula has no age and that when people come together, great things happen.”
The performance and technical process of hula goes beyond beautiful dance — for fellow Hula Hui O Kapunahala student Kaylena Torres, the art teaches the importance of good morals.
“[Hula passes] down what it means to be respectful, have aloha for each other,” Torres said.
The free event ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and showcased a variety of live performance, including from the Royal Hawaiian Band, hula studios and the Lei Court.
As the longest-running, annual non-competitive hula event in the islands, the parks department has footage of previous festivals on their YouTube channel.