A truly festive festival, Seattle Center Festál: Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, 11am-7pm, Sunday, Sept. 10, at Seattle Center Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Fisher Roof, attracts enthusiastic crowds with Hawaiian music, food, hula and hands-on learning that provide a glimpse into the rich Hawaiian history and a sense of belonging to ex-Hawaiian islanders now living in the Pacific Northwest.
The 10th Annual Live Aloha Festival features singer, musician and hula dancer/teacher from the Island of Hawai’i, Kuana Torres Kahele. Co-founder of one of the most popular Hawaiian music groups to date, Na Palapalai, and a solo artist in his own right, Kuana released his solo debut in 2011, winning every major award at that year’s Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. Kuana maintains his own Hawaiian Music & Culture School in Japan, is one of the most popular entertainers in Hawai’i and Japan and performs and teaches cultural workshops all over the world. He performs, 5:45pm-7pm, at Mural Amphitheatre.
Kuana’s performance concludes a packed line-up of hula dancing and live Hawaiian music on two stages, Seattle Center Armory Stage and Mural Amphitheatre. Live Aloha also offers demonstrations/workshops on lei making including feather leis and lei bracelets, slack key guitar and ukulele playing and Hawaiian language. The Live Aloha Keiki Korner provides creative and colorful children’s activities. Several vendors will have Hawaiian items for purchase, and festival-goers will enjoy a wide assortment of Hawaiian foods including poke, BBQ, shave ice, spam musubi and Hawaiian lemonade.
Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, visit www.seattlelivealohafestival.com, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, click on www.seattlecenter.com or call 206-684-7200. Photo by SADDLEBURN MEDIA
