This weekend and next Hawaii celebrates their 95th annual King Kamehameha Day. The festivities start this weekend on Oahu and the Big Island and will wrap up on Sat., June 18 on Maui and Kauai.
This state holiday marks the day King Kamehameha V chose to honor his grandfather, King Kamehameha I, on June 11, 1872. The day is one of the first holidays announced by Hawaii when it became a state in 1959.
Look for parades and musical entertainment. And even more fun — the annual lei draping of the King Kamehameha statue in Honolulu. You’ll want to arrive early and bring a camera. Volunteers begin stringing the fresh, 25-foot flower and maile lei from the early morning through much of the afternoon.
During the draping ceremony, volunteers are lifted by cherry picker, or fire truck ladder, to string long strands over the king’s outstretched arms. A cool sight to see.
