Preparations are taking place across the country as the planned celebrations for July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, draw near.
In Hawaiʻi, those preparations are being led by the Hawaiʻi America250 Commission, which is chaired by Hawaiʻi Island resident Peter Young.
HPR spoke with Young to outline some of the festivities being planned across the state.
“Rather than compete with what's already great things going on, that have gone on year after year on the neighbor islands, as well as on Oʻahu, is try to work with them, try to help promote them,” he told HPR.
“We've identified the signature programs on each of the counties.”
Those programs include the 58th Annual Makawao Parade and Rodeo on Maui, the 2026 Kona Marathon on Hawaiʻi Island, and more.
With the United States Semiquincentennial shaping up to be a major celebration across the country, Young said larger crowds are anticipated across the islands.
“One, it's an election year, so we know that the politicians are going to be in the parades and those kinds of public gatherings, but it's also an opportunity to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States,” he explained.
The Hawaiʻi America250 Commission will also be part of a simulcast reading of the Declaration of Independence scheduled worldwide for June 8 at 6 PM EDT, Young told HPR.
More information about upcoming events on each island can be found on the Hawaiʻi America250 website.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 23, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
