Hilo is the final stop on the Pae ʻĀina Statewide Sail before Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia and their crews leave Hawaii for the next three years on the Moananuiākea Voyage. Scheduled to arrive Wednesday afternoon pending weather conditions, the voyaging canoes and crews will connect with the community while making final preparations for the upcoming voyage.
All events are weather permitting, as safety of the crew is the top priority. The tentative schedule looks like:
• Wednesday, May 21, afternoon - Welcome ceremony at Grand Naniloa Hotel
• Thursday, May 22, 3 to 6 p.m. - Public engagement dockside
• Saturday, May 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Hilo’s Hōkūleʻa Hoʻolauleʻa at Wailoa Boat Harbor (makai side of Wailoa Bridge near Suisan Fish Market) - The community welcomes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia and their crews with music, entertainment, food trucks and more. During the event, Lihiwai Street from Kamehameha Avenue to Banyan Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. A one-way traffic pattern will be in place on a portion of Banyan Drive next to Liliʻuokalani Gardens.
“We are honored to welcome Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to Hilo as they embark on the next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage,” said County of Hawaii Mayor Kimo Alameda in a release. “This visit is an opportunity to celebrate our heritage of exploration while deepening our shared responsibility to the ocean that connects all of us."
“Together, these canoes carry the hopes, values and spirit of Hawaii. We look forward to extending our heartfelt aloha to the crew as they sail across the Pacific Ocean, inspiring the next generation of navigators and stewards of our planet,” Alameda said.
Pending weather conditions, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will depart Hilo for French Polynesia on May 30.
Hōkūleʻa recently celebrated her 50th birthday on March 8, 2025, making a half century of cultural revival, environmental advocacy and renewing the connection between people and the earth and ocean.
People can follow Hōkūleʻa and her crew on their voyage through real-time updates, educational content and events shared on the website and via social media @hokuleacrew on Facebook and Instagram.
Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.
