ROYAL HAWAIIAN CENTER HOSTS INAUGURAL HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE DAYLĀ ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI MA HELUMOA

Celebrate ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Month with activities, games, entertainment and more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 31, 2019

Waikīkī – February is ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Month, and there’s no better place to celebrate than Royal Hawaiian Center! On Saturday, February 16, 2019, Royal Hawaiian Center is proud to present its inaugural Lā ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Ma Helumoa: Hawaiian Language Day at Helumoa, complete with a variety of cultural games, activities, presentations, readings, and entertainment offered in both English and Hawaiian.

“Hawaiian language and culture flow through the lifeblood of Royal Hawaiian Center, and we are proud to celebrate our royal heritage with the local community during our first-ever Lā ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Ma Helumoa,” said Monte McComber, Cultural Director at Royal Hawaiian Center.

The event will include a special Mākeke (Hawaiian market) in The Royal Grove from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. featuring Kamehameha Publishing and Nā Mea Hawaiʻi along with table games by PAʻI Foundation and block printing with local artist Jessica Keʻala Kim. The Hawaiian language cast of the film Moana will also participate in a special panel discussion, and will be available to sign autographs.

Live entertainment, including hula performances and Hawaiian language book readings will be held throughout the day as follows:

• 11:00 a.m.

  • Hālau Nā Mamo o Ka ʻUpaʻiakaʻuaua, Kumu Hula Lahela Igarta Selected Readings from Honokawailani

• 11:45 a.m.

  • Hawaiian Language Book Reading: Nāmaka and the Little Folk: A New Tale of the Menehune, Eli Līhauanu Maioho and Monte McComber

• 12:00 p.m.

  • Performances by Pūnana Leo O Ko‘olau Poko and Pūnana Leo O Honolulu Hawaiian Language Immersion Schools

• 1:30 p.m.

  • Hawaiian Language Cast of Disney’s Moana Panel Discussion

• 2:15 p.m.

  • Performance by Project KULEANA

• 3:00 p.m.

  • Hawaiian Language Book Reading: Nāmaka and the Little Folk: A New Tale of the Menehune, R Magazine Cultural Editorial Team

• 3:30 p.m.

  • Pueo Pata

Additionally, to further demonstrate its commitment to Hawaiian culture and language, this year Royal Hawaiian Center’s quarterly publication, R Magazine, will feature a series of cultural editorials with original fiction and illustrations by Jessica Keʻala Kim for the first time in Hawaiian, as well as English.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information and a complete list of events, visit www.RoyalHawaiianCenter.com or call Helumoa Hale Guest Services at 808-922-2299.

About Royal Hawaiian Center

Royal Hawaiian Center is the premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural destination in Waikīkī, comprised of 90 shops and restaurants over three city-blocks of world-renowned Kalākaua Avenue. The Center stands proudly upon historic land known as Helumoa, once home to Hawaiian royalty.

OWNERSHIP: Royal Hawaiian Center is owned by RHC Property Holdings LLC and managed by The Festival Companies.

For more information, visit www.RoyalHawaiianCenter.com or call Helumoa Hale Guest Services at 808-922-2299.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jocelyn Collado                                                                    
Becker Communications, Inc.                                                                         
(808) 392-5737
jocelyn@beckercommunications.com

Sam Shenkus
Royal Hawaiian Center
(808) 931-3110
s.shenkus@festivalcos.com