On Thursday night, a 21-year-old from Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu, was swept over by emotions when she was announced as the Miss Aloha Hula 2023 at the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival on the Big Island.
The Merrie Monarch Royal Parade will be in Downtown Hilo on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., with than 100 horses gussied up to carry women dressed in long, colorful skirts (pāʻu) riding sidesaddle or as part of a private mount group.
Although the initial motivation for the Merrie Monarch Festival was to boost the economy of Hawaiʻi island through tourism, this event has come to serve a far greater purpose, which is perpetuating Hawaiian culture.
Get ready, world. The Merrie Monarch Festival returns next week with full regalia for the first time since 2019, and there’s just two days left until the celebration of hula and everything Hawaiian gets underway.