Ho’olaule’a Festival
The Ho’oleaule’a has been held annually in Alondra Park since 1981! This event is hosted by the HICCSC, the Hawaiian Inter-Club Council of Southern California, on July’s third weekend, the largest Hawaiian festival in southern California. This festival offers continuous Polynesian entertainment, island-style foods, arts and crafts, games, drawings, and prizes!
When you arrive at the festival, you’ll first notice numerous -primarily white- tents all over the park, most of them being vendors. There are about four lines of shop tents to scroll through, and most of the vendors sell t-shirts, flowers, ukuleles, Koa Wood jewelry, and Islander artwork, among other Hawaiian things. And, 1 line of nothing but food (everything from manapua to spam musubi). Take a walk, and you’ll find a group of dancers with traditional Hawaiian clothing dancing to traditional music and a corner full of fun activities for kids.
Kindness is a big part of Hawaiian culture, so everyone here will gladly greet you and help you with whatever you need. This festival is a great place to be surrounded by the aloha spirit and an excellent cure for some people’s homesickness.
If you’re planning to attend this festival, don’t forget your essentials: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen; Ho’olaule’a takes play mid-July, so it can get very hot. Keep in mind as well that you should probably bring your chair or umbrella, this is not mandatory, but it eases your experience while enjoying the performances. Absolutely no smoking or drinking alcohol on the premises, no pets are allowed, Malasadas long lines are worth the wait, and after getting your malasadas, get yourself a shaved ice cream. It’s the perfect combo for a hot day!