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Maui offers vibrant cultural celebrations year-round, but fall brings several special events across the Valley Island that have become beloved traditions for residents and visitors alike.
Oct. 10-11: For more than 30 years, the children’s hula competition and festival Hula O Na Keiki has nurtured the next generation of kumu hula (expert hula teachers and choreographers) while also supporting the preservation and creation of mele (songs) about Maui. Unique in showcasing solo performances by boys and girls ages 6 to 17, the event at OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort further includes a Hawaiian arts market with workshops and exhibits as well as arts, crafts and fashion by local artisans and designers.
Five of the hula world’s most revered kumu hula — Nāpua Silva, Leimomi Ho, Māpuana de Silva, Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe and Māpuana Kekahuna Aarona—will judge this year’s performances by young dancers from Maui and O‘ahu, spread over two nights in in the resort’s Kanahele Room, starting at 4 p.m. Hula kahiko (traditional hula), accompanied by chanting and percussion of a gourd or drum, has its place in the spotlight Friday, Oct. 10, while hula ‘auana (modern hula), which incorporates more fluid movements as well as vocals and ukulele, guitar and/or other musical instruments, precedes the awards ceremony Saturday, Oct. 11.
Judges will be evaluating haumana (hula students) not only on the gracefulness of their dance but also on their use of the Hawaiian language and the understanding of the meaning of the oli (chants) and mele, which typically highlight Maui’s history, ali‘i (chiefs), wahi pana (special places), flora and fauna. Accompanied by their proud kumu, the winners traditionally have their portrait taken the morning after the competition on the beach in front of OUTRIGGER, with Pu‘u Keka‘a (the Hawaiian name for “Black Rock”) in the background, while wearing their kahiko attire and adornments.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 same-day, if available. It’s free to browse the marketplace, offered 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 10-11 in the OUTRIGGER resort’s lobby, which often includes a popup by one of Hawaii’s top fashion designers as well as jewelry, woven items, gifts and other treasures.
Oct. 24-26: Maui County’s Festivals of Aloha, part of a statewide celebration of Hawaiian culture that began 79 years ago on O‘ahu, features a variety of activities across Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i in September and October. Highlights for visitors includes the Oct. 24-26 weekend of free events in Wailea at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, with free parking and round-trip shuttle from Wailea Event Parking on Wailea Ike Drive.
Vendors of local arts, crafts and food treats n the Live Aloha Market set up in the resort’s Molokini Room, while popular fashion designer Manaola will hold a popup in the Kula Room, both from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and 25. Manaola will also continue sales from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26.
Doors open in the ballroom at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24 for the Carmen Hulu Lindsey Leo Ha‘iha‘i Falsetto contest — the first-ever women’s falsetto contest, now in its fourth edition — which starts at 6:30 p.m. Named for the award-winning vocalist and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, it’s a rare showcase of the women’s version of leo ha‘iha‘i (falsetto) featured in traditional Hawaiian music. The Four Seasons ballroom also hosts “Hula Is the Heartbeat,” a free show of hula by five top Maui hālau (troupes), music by Keauhou and a pre-show performance by Kūikawā at 6 p.m. Oct. 26, with doors opening at 5 p.m. “Sounds of the Sea,” a concert on the Oceanfront Lawn at 6 p.m. Oct. 27, features Lawakua, Ainaty and Kamalei Kawa‘a from “The Voice.”
Oct. 24-26: Head to Upcountry Maui to immerse yourself in the island’s paniolo (cowboy) culture at the Oskie Rice Memorial Rodeo in Makawao. The three-day affair at Oskie Rice Event Center starts with bull-riding at the “Bull Bash” Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. (doors open at 4 p.m.) and continues the next day with preliminary contests in various rodeo events—riding, roping, wrestling, barrel racing and more—at 9 a.m., when admission is free. The official evening rodeo competition takes place from 4 to 10 p.m.
Championship performances take center stage from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, which also features family-friendly activities such as a pumpkin-pie eating contest, Halloween costume show, tractor rides and more.
Tickets for each day start at $33 general, $22 kupuna (seniors) and $11 ages 5 to 12 (younger free).
