Hoʻokipa Hawaiʻi Festival, presented by the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, returns to the Royal Hawaiian Center on Sept. 12 – 13, 2026, for a FREE two-day, family-friendly community event celebrating Native Hawaiian culture, community and the many ways Hawaiian knowledge continues to shape Hawaiʻi.
Hoʻokipa Hawaiʻi Festival brings together cultural practitioners, Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs, and community organizations to create opportunities for both kamaʻāina and visitors to engage with Hawaiian culture in meaningful and respectful ways.
Hoʻokipa, is a Hawaiian cultural value that is at the heart of this festival, and a defining feature of the programming is the curated marketplace featuring 50+ Native Hawaiian vendors.
Each participating business has been personally vetted to ensure its products and services align with NaHHA’s mission and represent Hawaiʻi in a pono way. The marketplace provides a platform for Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to share their products, stories and innovations while strengthening pathways into local, visitor-industry and retail markets.
Featured among the vendors are participants from Pākōlea by NaHHA, a small business cohort program created specifically for early-stage Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs developing consumer packaged goods, food products, fashion and apparel.
Pākōlea addresses longstanding barriers faced by businesses seeking access to visitor-industry and retail opportunities, while supporting products that express the foundational values of Hawaiʻi and are sustainable, socially responsible, culturally grounded and locally produced.
On Saturday, September 12, NaHHA will host a special invitation-only experience called the Pākōlea Buyers Showcase from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. This aspect of the program is designed specifically for discovering emerging Native Hawaiian brands and exploring potential wholesale and retail opportunities. Buyers and procurement professionals interested in attending are encouraged to contact [email protected] to request an invitation.
The festival will also highlight several Native Hawaiian youth entrepreneurs participating in Keiki Rise, a youth-focused small business incubator program. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet young entrepreneurs and learn more about the next generation of Native Hawaiian business leaders.
Beyond the marketplace, Hoʻokipa Hawaiʻi Festival offers opportunities to experience Hawaiian culture through cultural practitioners and community engagement with on-stage cultural practices and performances including hula, mele and oli. Together, these experiences invite audiences to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Native Hawaiian culture and the living knowledge systems of Hawaiʻi.
Hoʻokipa Hawaiʻi Festival is more than an event, it is an opportunity to support Native Hawaiian enterprise, celebrate Hawaiian culture and experience the spirit of hoʻokipa through meaningful connection and community.
The public is welcomed to join us, September 12 (2:00 – 7:00 p.m.) and September 13 (12:00 – 5:00 p.m.) on the 4th Floor Ka Lewa Lanai at the Royal Hawaiian Center!
For more information visit: nahha.com/event or email [email protected]
