Throughout the year, the Friends of Kalākaua Park support culture and arts activities here in Hilo’s original town square, as well as at other events related to the Hawaiian Monarchy and the wahi pana (storied places) of our islands.
Destination Hilo
Through collaboration with public and private industry, Destination Hilo strives to increase visitor satisfaction, extend length of stay, and provide innovative visitor activities offering unique Hawaiian experiences. Efforts are focused on improving quality of life for residents by contributing to a healthy social and economic culture. Destination Hilo’s flagship “Hawaiian Greetings Program” provides music, entertainment, and networking services to thousands of visitors arriving at Hilo Pier and in Downtown Hilo.
East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center
Located across from Kalākaua Park in the Old Police Station of Downtown Hilo, the East Hawai’i Cultural Center is a non-profit organization largely run by volunteers, supporting the arts and culture in the Hilo community for over 50 years. Current programs include the Youth Arts Series, Kahua ‘Elua Theatre, Gamelan of the Molten Blossom, and exhibitions featuring local and international artists. EHCC is also home to SPACE: a curated store.
Hilo Lei Day Festival
He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei and its hōʻike, the Hilo Lei Day Festival, comprise a full year of integrated learning, with the goal of preservation and perpetuation, about the traditions and culture of traditional lei. Using the lei as a metaphor, participants learn Hawaiian perspectives of ecology – mālama ʻāina – to weave together an artistic story of their place in the world.
Petroglyph Press
Established in 1962 by the Reed family to publish books about Hawaiʻi, they are the only publisher remaining in the whose books are entirely “made in Hawaii.” From design and composition through binding and distribution, Petroglyph Press creates books about Hawaii from Hawaii in its Hilo facility.
