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International Festival of Canoes Maui's Signature Cultural Heritage Event featuring the traditional arts of Polynesia and the Pacific Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii • May 18 - 31, 2008 |
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--The cultural adventure returns to Lahaina from May 18 through 31, 2008 in a daily interactive showcase at Kamehameha Iki Park and Banyan Tree Park on Front Street. Well-known as "Maui's Signature Cultural Heritage Event," the International Festival of Canoes has also been recognized globally for its presentation to the public of the traditional arts of Polynesia. In recent years, the art of tiki carving was introduced, which produced Tongan, Maori and Rarotongan statues; Hawaiian poi pounding implements and the art of traditional tattoos were also featured. If you ever wanted to know how a thatched house was built, a wooden plank surfboard was shaped, or an 'awa (kava) ceremony was performed, Lahaina is the place to see it. On opening day, Lahaina's Hawaiian warrior group will offer an ancient greeting ceremony to the visiting carvers and their sponsors in Kamehameha Iki Park, where Hawaiian royalty once relaxed and feasted.
Carving will begin in full force on Monday, May 19 and continue through Friday, May 30 at the two parks. Freddie Tauotaha of Tahiti and O'ahu and Jeremy Delos Reyes of Lahainaluna High School will lead teams of assistants and student carvers in creating full-size, functional canoes from tree logs. The master canoe builders and master navigator from Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia will carve a canoe and talk about traditional navigation. Master builder Francis Sinenci of Hana will be sharing his ancient art of house thatching and an exhibit about growing kalo, the staple of Polynesia. In the center of town at Banyan Tree Park, festival organizers have arranged for canoes, surfboards and drums completed in previous years to be displayed so the visiting public can see what the finished logs will look like. Cultural workshops and demonstrations in Polynesian arts and skills will take place at Banyan Tree Park and The Wharf Cinema Center on select days throughout the festival. From May 19 - 22, the weekend of May 24 and 25, and May 27 - 30, an island-style arts and crafts fair will be held under the Banyan Tree between 9 am and 5 pm each day. Local musicians and dancers from Maui and other islands will be featured on stage during the arts and crafts fair. On Saturday, May 31, the popular Parade of Canoes will kick-off a full day of closing festivities and ceremony. The carvers and artisans with their families and friends, will proceed down Front Street proudly displaying the completed and decorated canoes. In the afternoon at Kamehameha Iki Park, 525 Front Street, food booths by Maui nonprofit organizations will be set up in the parking lot along with a festival souvenir t-shirt booth. A continuous line-up of island bands, crowd-pleasing musicians and special guests will perform on stage in the park through the evening. During the Closing Launch ceremony, festival-goers witness the birth of the newly carved canoes: Hawaiian protocol specialist Ke'eaumoku Kapu will call the master carvers and their assistants to acknowledge their work, cut the symbolic umbilical cord, then pick up their canoes and carry them into the ocean. As the vessels lift up on a wave and are paddled out to sea, visitors, residents and festival participants celebrate the triumph together. The procession begins at 5:30 pm and the ceremony ends around sunset at 7 pm. The annual International Festival of Canoes is presented by Hawai'i Tourism Authority, County of Maui Office of Economic Development, Maui Visitors Bureau, LahainaTown Action Committee and a variety of resort and business sponsors.
For updates on the daily schedule of activities, |
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