On Saturday, the World Peace Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Moku Ola (Coconut Island) in Hilo, Hawaii. This is the fourth year that the festival is being held.
On Saturday, the World Peace Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Moku Ola (Coconut Island) in Hilo, Hawaii. This is the fourth year that the festival is being held.
The World Peace Festival is a free-to-the-public event presented by County of Hawaii, sponsored by Soka Gakkai International USA, the International Committee of Artists for Peace and Hilo Downtown Improvement Association, to celebrate cultural diversity contributing to the creation of a peaceful world. The annual festival features performances, food and beverages, as well as opportunities to experience cultural expressions of dance, music and art. Children will enjoy a free water slide and jumping house.
Mayor Billy Kenoi created the festival to promote the spirit of Aloha; the universal language of love, which means “to honor and revere our elders; to love, nurture and protect our children; and to respect the harmony of our families, thus creating a healthy community and island.”
World Peace Festival performances currently scheduled include Hula and Hip Hop dance by the SGI Hilo Youth Group, Taiko drumming performed by Hui Okinawa’s Kobudo Taiko, musical performance by award winning musician Darlene Ahuna, the University of Hawaii at Hilo Samoan Club Tupulaga o Samoa Mo A Teao, to mention a few. Hawaiian cultural practitioner Luana Neff will be a guest speaker.
World Peace Festival organizers include Roxcie Waltjen, Bert Mukai and Morty Carter from the Department of Parks and Recreation; supported by International Committee of Artists for Peace (http://www.ICAPeace.org) assisted by SGI-USA (http://www.sgi-usa.org) Hilo representatives Hauoli Busby and Ria Razzauti, and Hilo Downtown Improvement Association (http://downtownhilo.com) representatives Alice Moon and Rose Acevedo. The Office of the Mayor can be contacted through Char Shigemura, cshigemura@co.hawaii.hi.us.
For more information or to volunteer for this event please contact Alice Moon, 935-8850, or askalice@downtownhilo.com.