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You should try to get to at least one of these glorious celebrations, held between late June and early September. An Asian tradition honoring deceased ancestors, O-Bon festivals are no longer strictly religious in nature, and all are welcome at the nighttime dances, which are held at Hongwanji , or Buddhist missions, such as Jodo (see Jodo Mission).

Maui’s largest culinary festival is held each year on the Friday and Saturday closest to September 15th. Dozens of island restaurants and hotels put their best culinary creations forward while many of Hawai’i’s finest modern musicians provide the entertainment.

“May Day is Lei Day in Hawai’i” say the lyrics of a popular Hawaiian song. Not that anyone in the islands needs an excuse to make, wear, or give a lei , but May 1st is the day Hawai’i’s master lei makers demonstrate their amazing skills to the public.

For two weeks every May, master canoe builders from Polynesia and Hawai’i gather in Lahaina to celebrate their craft and the art of traditional Polynesian voyaging. There are cultural events, including a parade, throughout the period, which culminates with the launch of a canoe, built during the festival.

Hawai’i’s most important food (see Local Dishes) is celebrated each spring in Hāna. The first day of the three-day event features a symposium; then there’s an allday festival of food, music, hula, arts, and crafts; and finally a taro pancake breakfast.

Contemporary Hawai’i is celebrated from mid-September to mid-October every year. The festivities begin on O’ahu and move through the island chain with at least a week-long celebration at every stop. A “royal court” is chosen on each island, and the festivals are marked by floral parades, concerts, and craft fairs.

The sound of hundreds of thousands of firecrackers, the time-honored Lion Dance (see Lion Dance), and bountiful feasts of delicious and traditional foods mark Chinese New Year in the islands. The celebration takes place in early February, and you most certainly don’t have to be of Chinese heritage to take part.

Surprisingly, rodeo is a popular sport in Hawai’i and nowhere more so than in the little “paniolo” town of Makawao. Held every July 4th weekend, the festivities begin with a parade through town, and two days of rodeo events are held at an arena just up the road.

Carnival rides, livestock, flowers, produce, extraordinary orchid displays, and, of course, lots and lots of food – all of that and some of Hawai’i’s best entertainers can be found at this fair, held in central Maui every October. The fair draws almost 100,000 folks over four days.

The brainchild of respected Hawaiian cultural specialist Clifford Nae’ole, Maui’s Ritz-Carlton Kapalua resort hotel (see The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua) is transformed during Easter weekend into a honeypot of cultural activities. Cultural presentations and craft demonstrations are held throughout the festival. The traditional lū’au presented in a very contemporary setting celebrates Hawaiian food, music, and dance.