2019 Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pā‘ū Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a

Spend your Father’s Day weekend in Lahaina celebrating aliʻi nui, Kamehameha I and his legacy. The 2019 theme is “E Kuʻupau a Kani Leʻa Nā Mele Kūpuna” – Play Without Restraint Until The Songs of Our Ancestors Resound Joyously. The planning committee invites all to see the hard work of pāʻū riders and the community during at Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pā‘ū Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a.

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While in final preparation for the parade, the horse community on Maui was shook by the discovery of Strangles Disease. “We experienced our first confirmed case of Strangles back in September and since then, many more horses have been affected,” said Lizzie Immarino of Makawao Veterinary Clinic. In an attempt to save their animals, horse owners were dissuaded from participating in the parade.

“We totally understand how the horse owners feel, as I am one too, but It made it even harder for our riders to find horses this year. We even lost a few units,” said pāʻū coordinator Moanikeala Whittle Wagner. “We’re so blessed to have found such a hardworking livestock enthusiast in Christy Kajiwara Gusman, she stepped in and helped to fill four pāʻū units, one with herself and the others with high school students who are active in the Hawaiʻi Youth Livestock Association.”

“Its for the keiki,” Gusman reiterated.  “They’re now going full circle with their animals, from farm to table and now a cultural component.”  Gusman is born and raised cowgirl via Kauaʻi, now a Maui resident, she wants to ensure that her children as well as all keiki of Maui county have an opportunity to learn farming as she did growing up.

On Saturday, June 15 the parade will commence at 9:45 a.m. from Kenui Street along Front Street to Shaw Street. There will be five parade commentary stations along the parade route, including: Longhi‘s, Kimo‘s, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lahaina Pizza Co. and The Wharf Cinema Center.

2019 pāʻū riders:

• Island of Oʻahu – Princess Leila Kalani Larson
• Island of Niʻihau – Princess Christy Ann Makanalani Kajiwara-Gusman
• Island of Maui – Princess Mikaela Bega
• Island of Hawaiʻi – Princess Ashley Lehuanani Branco
• Island of Molokaʻi – Princess Jadelyn Jadie Kilinoe Beauchan
• Island of Kahoʻolawe – Princess Chasity Nicole Koko
• Island of Kauaʻi – Princess Venell Leialoha Kai
• Island of Lānaʻi – Princess Melani Malia Pali-Kaneakua

The hoʻolauleʻa under the Lahaina Banyan Tree is free and open to the public with exhibits, free keiki activities, a parade and pāʻū awards presentation, food booths supporting community non-profits, Maui made crafters, music and hula. The festivities are scheduled to last until 5 p.m. and continue Sunday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Keawaiki (Banyan Tree Park) Highlights:·
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – FREE to the public Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16.

Hawaiian Music and Hula

• Saturday – Reiko Fukino, Kaniala Masoe, Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning Nā Hoa, Leomana and the Maui Music Mission
• Sunday – Maui Jam, Kupuna Serenaders, Nā Wai ʻEha, Hōkū Zuttermeister, Hālau Keola Aliʻi O Ke Kai and Kuikawa

• Pāʻū Awards Ceremony 12:30 p.m.
• Maui Made Arts & Crafts
• ‘Ono Eats – delicious local food favorites to support local non-profits
• Lei Making
• Meet and greet the pāʻū princesses and riders
• Cultural Exhibits
• Keiki Art Activities

ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE: Front Street will be closed to traffic starting at 8:30 a.m. from Kenui Street to Shaw Street.

Planning co-chairs for this year’s event are Daryl Fujiwara of Smythe Fujiwara Design, the Lahaina Hawaiian Civic Club and Melissa Sowers – Poʻo Roving Marshal and Moani Whittle-Wagner Pāʻū Coordinator

Mahalo to partners: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, County of Maui, Maui Visitors Bureau, Lahaina Hawaiian Civic Club, Smythe Fujiwara Design, KPOA 93.5FM, Lokahi Pacific and Lahaina Town Action Committee

Friday, June 14, 2019: 2nd Friday Lahaina Town Party: Campbell Park entertainment by: Maui Jam (5:30 p.m.) and 2x Grammy award winner, Kalani Peʻa (7 p.m.); Outlets of Maui entertainment by: Reiko Fukino (5:30 p.m.) and Leomana (7 p.m.)

Saturday, June 16, 2019: Parade  from Baker Street to Shaw Street along Front Street. 8:30 a.m. Road Closure / 9 a.m. Hoʻolauleʻa / 9:45 a.m. Parade.

Saturday and Sunday, June 15-16, 2019: Hoʻolauleʻa at Keawaiki (Lahaina Banyan Tree Park)

More About Pāʻū:
Courtesy: The Art of Pāʻū (http://www.bigisland.org/activities-cultural/470/pau-riders):

In 1875, vibrant writer Isabella Bird, wrote with awe about her arrival to the Sandwich Islands. She was curiously impressed with the Hawaiians love of horses, particularly the women.

Every now and then a flower-wreathed Hawaiian woman, in her full radiant garment, sprang on one of these animals astride, and dashed along the road at full gallop, sitting on her horse as square and easy as a hussar. The women seemed perfectly at home in their gay, brass-bossed, high peaked saddles, flying along astride, barefooted, with their orange and scarlet riding dresses streaming on each side beyond their horses tails, a bright kaleidoscopic flash of bright eyes, white teeth, shining hair, garlands of flowers and many-colored dresses. Sometimes a troop of twenty of these free-and-easy female riders went by at a time, a graceful and exciting spectacle, with a running accompaniment of vociferation and laughter. Many of the women were in flowing riding-dresses of pure white, over which their unbound hair, and wreaths of carmine-tinted flowers fell most picturesquely.

This is one of the best early descriptions of the beautiful tradition of pāʻū riding, carried on today in pageants and parades throughout the state. Yards and yards of brilliant fabric, usually of an islands particular color, go into long skirts and saddle decorations. And, thousands of flower blossoms are strung and woven into lei for horses as well as riders.

But how did such an elaborate custom begin?

From the beginning, Hawaiian people loved horses, and the women had no interest in riding side-saddle, in spite of the missionaries disapproval. The wahine hitched up their long dresses from the back, tucked them in around their legs and rode astride, letting their skirts pāʻū flag out behind as they paraded through town in their finery. If they had to travel any distance, they might wrap a long sheet of muslin around themselves to keep dust and mud off their good clothes. Special occasions of course demanded special costumes and lei, for horse as well as rider.

Like a kind of hula on horseback the pāʻū riding unit grew into an essential element of parades and other festive gatherings. From 1965-1983, Auntie Anna Lindsey Perry-Fiske hosted fully scripted and choreographed Hawaiian history pageants in her Waimea front yard. The Old Hawaiʻi on Horseback celebration was one of the social events of the season, always led by Anna herself as queen for the day, draped in the finest pāʻū fabrics and lei. Her notorious skill and style as a pāʻū rider took her all the way to the Calgary Stampede and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

Today youll see pāʻū riders during Aloha Festivals and other island parades, with beautiful women wrapped in a rainbow of satiny yardage, draped with fabulous lei on their shoulders and hats, and on their horses necks and hooves. Usually a pāʻū queen leads the procession, dressed in red, followed the islands princesses, ladies in waiting and paniolo outrider adorned in the colors and flowers particular to each island, eight in all. Red with ʻōhiʻa lehua represents the island of Hawaiʻi; pink with lokelani for Maui, gray or blue with hina hina for Kahoʻolawe; orange with kaunaʻoa for Lānaʻi green with kukui for Molokaʻi, yellow with ʻilima for Oʻahu, purple with mokihana for Kauaʻi and white or brown with pūpū o Niʻihau for the Island of Niʻihau.