Aloha Festivals parade to return to national and international limelight

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At 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 for the first time, ‘Olelo Community Media will live-stream the Aloha Festivals’ Floral Parade in Honolulu in high-definition video on YouTube, in addition to the live broadcast on ‘Olelo Channel 53. Parade chairwoman Toni Lee will host the broadcast and online simulcast.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 for the first time, ‘Olelo Community Media will live-stream the Aloha Festivals’ Floral Parade in Honolulu in high-definition video on YouTube, in addition to the live broadcast on ‘Olelo Channel 53. Parade chairwoman Toni Lee will host the broadcast and online simulcast.

Aloha Festivals dates back to 1946 and is woven into the fabric of Hawaii tradition. ‘Olelo officials are honored by the opportunity to bring the images of pa‘u riders representing the eight main Hawaiian islands, and floats adorned with colorful cascades of island blossoms, to the world via HD video online.

“We are the only television outlet locally that will cover the entire parade live, and this is the first time in several years that the parade will be available live outside of Hawai‘i,” said Roy Amemiya, ‘Olelo president and CEO.

Viewers outside Oahu need only navigate to www.olelo.org and click on the YouTube logo to get directly to the live-stream of the culturally significant parade.

This yearʼs Aloha Festivals theme is “Moana Nui Akea: Celebrating Traditional Hawaiian Ocean Voyaging,” marking the 40th anniversary of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. The society has inspired two generations of canoe builders, voyagers and navigators who have boldly retraced the paths of our Pacific Island ancestors.

This yearʼs parade will navigate its own traditional path, from Ala Moana Park, down Kalākaua Avenue to Kapi‘olani Park.

The HD live-stream will be available free of charge around the world via the ‘Olelo Community Media Channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/olelocm, and the broadcast will be carried live on ‘Olelo Channel 53 (via Oceanic Time Warner and Hawaii Telcom Cable).

The mission of Aloha Festivals is “to foster the Aloha Spirit through the perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture and the celebration of the diverse customs and traditions of Hawai‘i.” Aloha Festivals is the only statewide cultural festival in the United States. For more information, visit www.olelo.org.

Established in 1989, ‘Olelo Community Media is a private, nonprofit provider of community access television services and resources on O‘ahu. It is committed to building, convening and strengthening communities and providing a voice for people to share their stories and ideas about issues of importance to foster community engagement and well-being. ‘Olelo’s mission is to strengthen our island voices and advance community engagement through innovative media. For more information, visit www.olelo.org.