Sonia Tastes Hawaii: Hilo's Merrie Monarch Parade

This past week and for the 49th year our sleepy little coastal town of Hilo hosts the annual Merrie Monarch Festival and Hula Competitions with tradition, pomp and lots of hula. The Merrie Monarch Festival is committed to the perpetuation, preservation, and promotion of the art of hula and the Hawaiian culture through education.

Hilo dresses in it's best aloha wear to welcome visitors from all of the islands, the mainland and the world during this week of festivities. Stores dress their windows in traditional Hawaiiana; impromptu and scheduled hula demontrations sprout up in different venues; craft and art fairs can be found scattered around town; flowers and greeney can be seen everywhere; three full nights of hula dancing end up with the winners announced on Saturday night...and then of course...rain or shine...there is the Merrie Monarch parade!

Our friends at Local Hawai'i Realty provide a tent and seats right on the parade route and host a well anticipated food and beverage potluck for friends.

For some reason, and I'm not sure what happened, unbeknowned to me, my camera started acting up midway through the parade and I ended up having to delete 159 photos frpm the digital card due to a horrible bluish tint, so I don't have as many as I would have liked to share.

The different branches of the military were well represented as well as veterans from our foreing wars...unfortunately, many photos of the veteran groups participating were part of the ones I had to get rid of...

The men of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I - The Keepers of the Flame - Moku O Mãmalahoa, Hilo chapter

The Hawai'i County Band has a long and rich history. It was founded in 1883 by two Portuguese brothers who had migrated from the Azore Islands and worked as barbers in Hilo. Their uniform shirts are the traditional 'palaka' (Hawaiian word for plaid) fabric in red and white. Palaka is the original fabric made in England that was used for making plantation worker shirts in the 1900's. A short or long sleeved shirt with the plaid design woven into the fabric, the palaka shirt is still worn by Hawaiian cowboys (paniolo) and musicians today, and represents an important aspect of Hawaii culture (from the Parker Ranch "Made in Hawai'i" clothing website)

The Navy comes to town... throughout the day, we spotted sailors all over Hilo...Anchors Aweigh, my boys!

The Merrie Monarch Royal Court float - Every year a Mo'i Kane (King) and a Mo'i Wahine (Queen) as well as attendants are selected to represent the Hawaiian Monarchy during the festivities. This court also attends other functions around the island.

More flags flying!

Floral arrangement covering the hood of a car in the parade

An exhuberant group of Hawaiian Airline employees and friends join the parade.

MM parade - Hibiscus, ferns and orchids truck

Hibiscus, orchids and ferns decorate a Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company truck! Paraders behind the truck were giving away small packets of mac nut samples to the crowds.

Pa'u rider and her horse - You can learn more about the Pa'u Rider tradition and background Here and Here

Floral arrangement on the back of a convertible.

I'm so sorry I couldn't share more photos of bands and floats! I need to check and see what the problem was with the camera!

...........but if you visit Hilo during Merrie Monarch next year, you can see and experience not only the parade, but the whole exhuberant town of Hilo during Merrie Monarch week for yourself!