Aloha Festivals Aloha Festivals The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of Hawaii in the United States. It is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation. Highlights include the presentation of the Royal Court, a ho'olaule'a in Waikiki, and the Floral Parade. Approximately 30,000 people volunteer to plan, organize, and provide labor for the Aloha Festivals each year. Their efforts entertain over 1,000,000 people from throughout the state and visitors from all over the world. In the spirit of preserving the Hawaiian culture and heritage, the Aloha Festivals were established in 1946 as
Aloha Hive Camp and Edward Gulick, both of whom grew up in missionary families with a history of service. The camp was named "Aloha" from the Hawaiian word meaning "welcome" (among other definitions). Edward Gulick was born and raised in Honolulu, and it is from this upbringing that the camp acquired its Hawaiian touches, which extend to the names of some of the buildings. The first camp was a great success, and the Gulicks acquired this property and opened the camp in 1915. It is the only one (out of four camps now operated by the Aloha Foundation) that is not based on