Aloha Festivals will come to Kapolei for the first time this year.

Kapolei Mele, a one-day celebration overflowing with food and entertainment, will be held at Kapolei District Park on Sept. 15, following that day's Aloha Festivals Floral Parade in Waikiki.

"This is a wonderful celebration that's coming to the West Side," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.

The event will include five stages, including one dedicated to the Air Force, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, he said.

It's important that residents of the island's west side have the chance to enjoy public events and festivals where they live, work and play, Hannemann said.

The Kapolei event will replace the Downtown Ho'olaule'a block party, which had been part of previous Aloha Festivals but had seen dropping attendance, he said.

The theme for this year's Aloha Festivals will be Ke Kahua Lani O Hawai'i — Hawai'i's Beloved Royal Playgrounds.

The Air Force has selected Honolulu as one of six cities to host Air Force Week, which will overlap with this year's Aloha Festivals.

Special events will include a performance by the Thunderbirds elite aerial demonstration team flying off Waikiki on Sept. 15, the day of the parade.

The parade's Grand Marshal will be Gen. Paul V. Hester, Commander, Pacific Air Forces.

The Waikiki Ho'olaule'a — Hawai'i's largest block party — will be on Sept 21. Kalakaua Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic from Lewers Street to Kapahulu Avenue.

On Sept. 22, festival organizers will seek to set a world record for the longest line of hula dancers. They are calling for at least 5,000 dancers from all over the world to dance along Waikiki Beach.

The previous record was set on Waikiki in 1996 with 3,500 dancers.

Aloha Festivals, previously known as Aloha Week, have been held since 1947, and attract more than 1 million residents and visitors to events on the six major islands.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.