The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation Kualoa Regional Park is hosting their fifth annual Kualoa/Hakipu`u Canoe Festival on Saturday March 8, 2014 from 10am-3pm. The event takes place at Kualoa Regional Park 49-479 Kamehameha Highway. Campground A.
The festival is aimed at capturing the historic and ancient traditions of canoeing dating back to the Polynesian voyaging era. It is designed to stir the imaginations of those interested in the original settlers of Hawaii. The festival will showcase master canoe builder Bobby Puakea and the Puakea foundation repairing a canoe, educational booths along with a variety of sailing vessels. This year we will have Hawaiian Ocean Adventure and The Polynesian Voyaging Society. Voyaging canoes Kama Uheheu and educational voyaging canoe Kanehunamoku will be in the bay. Charter school Hakipu’u Learning Center and The Hawaii Nature Center will be having educational booths to share the knowledge of voyaging through various hands on activities. We will give rides on the park’s sailing canoe and double hull canoe for people to enjoy. If you have just a little knowledge about canoes, you will leave here with a lot of information.
The beach park, named Kualoa, which literally means “long ancestral background,” is considered a sacred area. In 1975, it served as the launching site for the Hokule`a voyaging canoe—the touchstone for rekindling Hawaiian heritage and pride in Polynesian seamanship.
This event is open to public. On site registration is required to ride on the canoes. Come and enjoy the day at Kualoa Regional Park.