ISLAND LIFE SCOOPS
A party fit for a prince
If you head into Waikiki today, you can find a birthday celebration fit for a prince.
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole, who was born March 26, 1871, will be honored with a ho'olaule'a from noon to 4 p.m., a parade down Kalakaua Avenue from 4 to 6 p.m. and a moonlight concert from 6 to 9 p.m.
The ho'olaule'a and concert will both be at Kapi'olani Park, and as is fitting for a man called Ke Ali'i Maka'ainana (Prince of the People), both are free and open to the public.
The parade ends at Kapi'olani Park, but for a better view, head toward Saratoga Road, where the route begins.
Today's festivities are part of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs' monthlong celebration of Prince Kuhio, who, among other things, was a founder of the Hawaiian Civic Club movement.
Prince Kuhio was part of the reigning House of Kalakaua when the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown in 1893. In 1894, he was sentenced to a year in prison after a failed attempt to restore the monarchy.
Prince Kuhio may have become king if Hawai'i hadn't been annexed as a U.S. territory. Instead he became Hawai'i's congressional delegate for 10 terms from 1903 to 1922.
"We celebrate his birthday for his accomplishments as a congressman, and as a prince and as an author and benefactor of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which is a major accomplishment that still exists and continues his vision of having Native Hawaiians on the land," said Wayne Panoke, chairman of the Prince Kuhio Celebration Committee.
For more information, visit the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Web site at www.aohcc.org.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.