Kulāia Molokaʻi Canoe Festivals Hoʻolauleʻa 2026

The Kulāia Hoʻolauleʻa revives "lā kulāia," a tradition documented in Hawaiian records as early as 1865 — festive days honoring the Hawaiian Kingdom in which outrigger canoe racing played a central role. After the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy, the celebration narrowed to canoe competitions alone. A community committee launched the modern Kulāia street festival in September 2014, pairing it with Molokaʻi's major channel races under the mission of perpetuating Molokaʻi's paddling culture and legacy.

The hoʻolauleʻa closes a block of downtown Kaunakakai's Ala Malama Avenue to traffic, filling it with roughly 30–40 local food, craft, and merchandise vendors and a stage for live Hawaiian music and hula performances. Cultural practitioners offer lomilomi massage, lei making, and poi pounding alongside an awards ceremony honoring a Molokaʻi waterman or cultural leader for contributions to the paddling community. Past events have drawn estimated crowds of 2,000 to 3,000-plus attendees over a five-hour evening celebration.