This year’s family festival celebrates all things Hawaiʻi! Enjoy a hula performance and learn the history behind the dance, get to know Hawaiian musical instruments, watch animated short films about ocean safety, and participate in a variety of hands-on activities for all ages.

ALL DAY

Level 2: Rotunda

• Coconut-leaf weaving: ʻUlana lau niu is the art of weaving coconut leaves. Learn how to weave a coconut leaf into a fish, headband, or rose.
• Kapa: Dalani Tanahy (Native Hawaiian), a master in the art of kapa (bark cloth), will share her expertise and demonstrate how to create a kapa bookmark.
• Bracelet making: Both hala (also known as screwpine) and kukui nut trees had many uses in ancient Hawaiʻi. Learn about their significance and weave a lauhala (hala leaf) and/or kukui nut bracelet to take home.
• Lei making: Enjoy demonstrations of different lei-making techniques, including kui (needle and thread), wiliwili (wrapping), and haku (braiding). Visitors can see and smell different types of lei shipped in from Hawaiʻi and make a contemporary lei using silk flowers and string.
• Musical instruments demonstration: Learn about a wide array of Hawaiian instruments and how to use them, including the ʻukulele, puʻili (bamboo nodes), ʻuliʻuli (hula rattles), ‘iliʻili (pebbles used like castanets), ‘ohe hano ihu (bamboo nose flute), ipu (single-bottle gourd drum), ipu heke (double-bottle gourd drum), and pahu hula (tall drum).
• Kōnane: Learn the rules of this two-player strategic board game, commonly known as Hawaiian checkers, and challenge a friend to play.

• Coloring pages: Visitors of all ages are invited to take a break and spend some time coloring images related to Hawaiian culture.

SELECT TIMES

Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom

11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM

Screenings: Makaʻala Bay: Lessons from the Sea (18 min)

• Watch episodes from the educational series Makaʻala Bay: Lessons from the Sea, which creatively combine animation and live action to teach people of all ages about the ocean.
  • “Hoʻokele” (ep. 2): ‘Anakē Manō teaches Iʻo, Maʻo, Sila, and ʻAʻama about the ancient Hawaiian voyaging and navigation tradition of hoʻokele.
  • “When in Doubt Don’t Go Out” (ep. 3): Wise maternal tiger shark ‘Anakē Manō helps little black crab ‘Aʻama overcome her doubts and trust her naʻau–her gut–to join her ocean friends for a day of fun in the sea.

Level 2: Diker Pavilion

12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM

Hula performance with Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi: Members of the Washington, DC-based hula school Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi will demonstrate traditional and modern hula and enlighten visitors about the history and evolution of each. 

This program is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.