The Heritage Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s North Hawai’i
Education and Research Center (NHERC) will host a free, public celebration of
the rich plantation era history of Honoka‘a and the Hāmākua region. The Hāmākua
Sugar Plantation Days Festival will be held on Saturday, August 22 from 10:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. on the lawn of the Historic Rickard House (currently the Salvation Army)
at 45 Rickard Place on Mamane Street in Honoka‘a.
The event will include ethnic presentations, displays and food from the
Portuguese, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese and Puerto Rican communities. Entertainment will feature a concert with Darlene Ahuna, Bulla Kailiwai, Maelan Abran, and Ryan Hiraoka, along with Puerto Rican kachi- kachi music. Free screenings of plantation era films will be held at the Honoka‘a People’s Theater from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
This festival is sponsored by the NHERC Heritage Center and made possible
through funding from the County of Hawai‘i’s Department of Research and Development in collaboration with diverse community organizations.
For more information, please call (808) 640-8114.