Robin Hirata has been playing with the Ewa Fukushima Bon Dance Club since he was in the sixth grade. Now in his 60s, Hirata, the groupʻs lead instructor, said one of the best parts of performing at bon dance is watching the dancers and enjoying the music.
“When we do our 'Fukushima Ondo,' the countryside churches, they respond to our yelling. They yell back at us, and we yell at them,” said Hirata, who works as a hairstylist. “Throughout the years, you make friends, and you see them every year. My friendship circle is getting bigger and bigger.”
Hirataʻs bon dance club is one of the groups set to perform at the Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest. He said this year is the first time the group will perform at the festival.
For the past two years, the cultural staple was canceled because of the pandemic. But it is set to return Saturday, July 2.
The free event celebrates the rich history of the Mōʻiliʻili area and features live entertainment, a bon dance and keiki activities, as well as 20 food vendors and 20 retail vendors.
Organizers are expecting about 3,000 to 4,000 people to attend.
Michelle Swartman, a member of the festival planning committee who works for event sponsor Kamehameha Schools, said it is a gathering that celebrates and brings together the community.
Other sponsors include the Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Mission, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi, the Mōʻiliʻili Community Center and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
“We’re really excited to present this comeback of the Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest, and happy, of course, to be collaborating with our community partners,” she said. “Prior to the pandemic, it was a very well attended festival that highlighted and paid homage to the cultural diversity, history and place keeping of Mōʻiliʻili.”
The Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the former Varsity Theater parking lot and on Coyne Street. The bon dance begins at 6:30 p.m.
Organizers said masks are not required but recommended.
Free parking will be available at a few locations, including at UH Mānoa’s lower campus structure. Paid parking will also be offered adjacent to the festival on Kaialiu Street.
For more information on parking and the event, click here.
