LIHU‘E — The next parade in Lihu‘e will be the King’s Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a that will unfold on June 15 from the Vidinha Stadium parking lots and finish at the lawn of the historic County Building.
The parade, which starts at 9 a.m. (Rice Street from Ho‘olako Street start closing from 8:45 a.m. on June 15), marks the start of the daylong 152nd King Kamehameha Day Celebration presented by the Kaua‘i King Kamehameha Celebration Committee. The event carries the theme “He Inoa No Kalaninui Kamehameha.”
Kamehameha School Alumni Judge Bill Fernandez will serve as the parade’s grand marshall and herald the Royal Court, which includes the 2023 Mo‘i Kamehameha Kawika Cutcher and 2024 Mo‘i Kaumuali‘i Kalani Flores.
The accompanying Pa‘u units will include this year’s Pa‘u Queen, Yolanda Cutcher, and her accompanying Pa‘u princesses garbed in the long, colorful skirts that are usually the color of the Hawaiian Islands the rider represents.
Che Weaver is the Pa‘u princess representing Kaho‘olawe and also a member of the Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council Miss Kaua‘i Filipina Scholarship Pageant, which arranged to have its unit in the parade featuring the pageant hopefuls for this year’s event, which takes place on June 22 at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.
The parade finishes at the ho‘olaule‘a that features a day of food, fun, shopping, cultural exhibits and entertainment on the lawn of the historic County Building where the protocol of ho‘okupu presentation to the Royal Court opens the field of more than 30 craft vendors and food trucks.
A Mu‘umu‘u Fashion Runway is just part of the entertainment lineup, which includes Lady Ipo Kahaunaele and Friends, the Kupuna Kanikapila ‘Ukulele, Cruz Control and many more.
The King’s Celebration and Ho‘olalule‘a is sponsored by the County of Kaua‘i, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the Rice Street Business Association, Grove Farm, Kaiaulu, the Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort, Garden Island Disposal and more.
For more information, email kkcc@gmail.com.
