THE MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL
Always begins on Easter Sunday and will run from April 8 to April 14, 2007.
A weeklong festival of cultural events includes Hawaii's most prestigious hula competition at Edith Kanakaole Stadium. The festival begins with a Hoolaulea on Moku Ola (Coconut Island) on Easter Sunday. On Wednesday there is a free exhibition night at the stadium that begins at 6:30 pm. Thursday is the solo Miss Aloha Hula competition, Friday and Saturday are the group Kahiko (ancient) and Auana (modern) hula competitions. A grand parade winds through Hilo-town on Saturday morning.
BIG ISLAND ALOHA FESTIVALS
Saturday, August 26, 2006 thru Saturday, September 30, 2006
Big Island presents a variety of events throughout the month of August and September including the opening ceremony by the Royal Court, falsetto contest, hula competition, parade, and more.
FORD IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
October 13, 2007
A 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile run. Competitors have 17 hours to finish. The swim segment begins and ends at the pier in Kailua. The bike race travels north on the Kona Coast to the small village of Hawi, and then returns along the same route to the King Kamahamaha Hotel. The marathon course travels through Kailua and onto the same highway used for the bike race. Contestants run back into Kailua-Kona, coming down Alii Drive to the cheers of more than 25,000 people at the finish line.
KONA COFFEE CULTURAL FESTIVAL
November 2-11, 2007
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will celebrate 178 years of coffee harvest and a variety of cultural traditions. The 36th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is Hawaii's oldest food festival. It is the only coffee festival in the United States that brings the local community together while attracting hundreds of visitors to celebrate Kona's famous harvest.
