One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the summer – the Okinawan Festival is held annually on Labor Day weekend at Kapiolani Park and attracts more than 30,000 visitors.
Saturday, August 30, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Fourth 2008 Na Mea Hawai'i Hula Kahiko performance! See traditional hula and chant performed outdoors on the hula platform overlooking Kilauea Crater, featuring Halau Ha'a Kea o Akala under the direction of kumu hula Paul Neves. In conjunction with Hawai'i Island Festivals’ Royal Court Investiture Ceremony at 12 noon with Halau o Kekuhi at a park location to be announced. Hawaiian crafts demonstrations at Volcano Art Center Gallery 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Free (Park entrance fees apply). Call (808) 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.
This year’s Hawai‘i Food & Wine Paradise takes place September 11-13 at the Ko Olina Resort area of O‘ahu, Hawaii. Proceeds generated will fund college scholarships and educational programs for Leeward O‘ahu youth through the festival’s charitable beneficiary—the Kapolei Rotary Foundation.
The three-day fest offers a number of tantalizing and entertaining options for residents and visitors.
The top triathletes from around the world (50 countries and all 50 States) converge on Kona for this Super-Bowl of triathlon events, featuring a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike course and a 26.2-mile run. This is the big one – a world-class sports event! www.ironman.com.
This inaugural full-field tournament will take place on the newly renovated Bay Course in Kapalua Resort. The top women golfers in the world, including Morgan Pressel, youngest LPGA golfer to win a major tournament and the resort's official LPGA touring professional compete for a $1.5 million purse.
The XTERRA World Championship is the final stop of the XTERRA Global Tour. The best off-road triathletes on the planet race for the title of world champion. Born on Maui in 1996, XTERRA is an off-road, multisport event which combines swimming, mountain biking and trail running.
The inaugural XTERRA Trail Running World Championship is an off-road half-marathon "Xduro" scheduled for December 7, 2008 on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. For competitive runners, $10,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top male and female finishers. This race is just a week before the Honolulu Marthon on December 14 - setting up what promises to be one of the "greatest weeks of running on Earth" for harriers from around the world.
The Honolulu Marathon 26 mile scenic course which includes spectacular ocean views alongside world famous Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head and Koko Head Craters begins at 5 a.m. Contact for more information - The HONOLULU MARATHON, 3435 WAIALAE AVE, SUITE 208, HONOLULU HI 96816.
Kickoff for the 2008 Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl has been set for Wed., Dec. 24, at 3 p.m. (HST) at Aloha Stadium. The bowl game, owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television, will feature a team from the Pac-10 Conference against a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The University of Hawai‘i Warrior football team will receive the automatic bid if it is bowl eligible. Held at the Aloha Stadium.
