Kamehameha Day festivities on Maui will kick off Monday morning with a march in Kahului by Native Hawaiian royal societies and culminate with a parade and hoolaulea Saturday in Lahaina.
Members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I Kahekili-Maui chapter will commemorate the birth of Kamehameha the Great by marching from the University of Hawaii Maui College to Hoaloha Park. Police will direct traffic for the event.
The event, described as a "solemn march," will start at 8 a.m. and will be led by Alii Aimoku Clifford Alakai. It has been held annually for the past 10 years and typically has 40 to 70 participants, according to members.
Kamehameha the Great united the Hawaiians Islands in the late 1700s.
"He had accomplished what no man in the history of the Hawaiian people had ever done. By uniting the Hawaiian Islands into a viable and recognized political entity, Kamehameha secured his people from a quickly changing world," according to the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site website.
On Saturday, the annual Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa'u Parade and Ho'olaulea will be held in Lahaina. The events are traditionally held the Saturday following the state holiday, which is Monday, according to organizers.
The hoolaulea, or celebration, will start at 9 a.m. at Kamehameha Iki Park on Front Street. The free, all-day event will feature cultural exhibits, makahiki games, food and crafts booths, entertainment and walking tours.
The parade will start at 9:45 a.m. at Front and Kenui streets and proceed along Front Street to Shaw Street.
Parade participants will include pa'u riders, students from Kamehameha Schools Maui and Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina, the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
Front Street will be closed to traffic at Kenui Street from 8:30 a.m., and cross streets, including Baker Street, Papalaua Street, Lahainaluna Road, Dickenson Street and Prison Street, will be closed at 9 a.m.
