Photo by Kaimana Barcarse

(BIVN) – A concert and panel discussion will be part of a tribute celebrating Ka Lani Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III, this weekend in Kona.

From a Kamehameha Schools news release:

Kamehameha Schools will celebrate the 22nd annual Kauikeaouli Festival – a birthday tribute to Kamehameha III – with a free ʻaha mele (concert) and cultural activities on March 17-18 at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay.

Since Kauikeaouli uplifted the people of Hawaiʻi through community and education – kaiāulu a me ho‘ona‘auao – the festival highlights an organization with a similar mission. This year, Kamehameha Schools is proud to support the efforts of Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani, an immersion school of Hawaiian arts and culture. A panel discussion with the hālau and Kumu Nani Lim Yap of Hālau Manaola will take place on Friday, March 17 at 5:00 p.m.

“Ka Lani Kauikeaouli recognized the importance of education in shaping the next generation of ʻōiwi leaders by founding Hawaiʻi’s public school system,” said Kilohana Hirano, Kamehameha Schools community engagement strategist for Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. “We are thrilled to be able to come together in person again to honor this visionary aliʻi.”

The festivities continue on March 18 starting at 9:30 a.m. with a craft fair and cultural workshops at the Outrigger Kona Resort. Register for the workshops at kikhula.com. The concert from 5:00- 8:30 p.m. will spotlight mele and hula performances by Kuana Torres Kahele, Grayden Haʻi Kelly, the Lim Family, and Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani.

Each year, a special tribute to Kauikeaouli by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi and Kamehameha Schools takes place with a ceremony at the historic place of his birth at Keauhou Bay.