WAILUA — When the Hawaiian warrior blows the conch and Ilima Rivera chants as na kane paddle the wa‘a kaulua down Wailua River Thursday morning, the 4th annual Kaua‘i Kau Wela Summer Festival will officially begin. Drumming will add to
WAILUA — When the Hawaiian warrior blows the conch and Ilima Rivera chants as na kane paddle the wa‘a kaulua down Wailua River Thursday morning, the 4th annual Kaua‘i Kau Wela Summer Festival will officially begin. Drumming will add to the protocol.
The four-day festival will offer residents and visitors a showcase of Polynesian culture, and will include hula, ‘ukulele performances, Tahitian dancing and drumming, Hawaiian foods and crafts, singing, entertainment and many other things.
“I did this to help the economy grow,” said Ilima Rivera, founder and director of the festival.
Rivera, a well-known recording artist on Kaua‘i, launched Kau Wela in 2009 as a two-day festival, and since 2011 the festival has grown to four days.
It begins Thursday at 9 a.m., when the gates open at Kamokila Hawaiian Village, by the Wailua River.
At 10 a.m., the music begins, and at 11 a.m. the kane paddle a Hawaiian canoe up to Kamokila, bringing Punohu, the warrior, and Rivera, the chanter, to bless the festival.
Rivera’s father and living treasure Larry Rivera will also be there sharing his music, along with Hawaiian comedian and entertainer Ernie Menehune, who was given the title of King of Polynesian Entertainment by the mayor of Tucson, Ariz.
“The ladies all scream for him when he goes onstage,” Ilima Rivera said of Menehune, who is going to be 90 years old this year, and is Rivera’s uncle.
There is a $10 admission fee for adults and $6 for children up to 12.
On Thursday the festival moves to Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e, where it will be free of charge and ongoing until Sunday.
For three days at Kukui Grove Center, there will be crafters, hula and Tahitian dancing performances, Tahitian drumming ‘ukulele competition and Tahitian dance competition, Polynesian entertainment and much more.
On Saturday a marching parade will go down the road by Kukui Grove Center at 11 a.m. Rivera is inviting all hotel staff to participate. There will be an Aloha Spirit Award for those who show the aloha spirit and for those who have the best aloha spirit attire.
For those willing to secure a spot as a vendor, there might still be some time, but Rivera is asking vendors to act quickly. She can be contacted at 822-5929.
