July 29, 2026

HAWAIʻI TOURISM AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES 2026 COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS Community-Based Organizations Statewide Selected to Present Authentic Experiences for Residents and Visitors

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HAWAIʻI TOURISM AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES 2026 COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

Community-Based Organizations Statewide Selected to Present Authentic Experiences for Residents and Visitors

 

 

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) today announced that 49 organizations will receive a total of $1.5 million to support 60 programs through its 2026 Community Enrichment Program. The funding supports community-based events and experiences that celebrate Hawaiʻi’s culture, natural resources and sense of place, while benefiting residents and visitors.

 

The Community Enrichment Program provides funding for unique, authentic experiences developed by communities for residents and visitors. Eligible projects include those focused on agriculture, culture, culinary arts, education, health and wellness, nature, sports and voluntourism.

 

“Community-based organizations play an important role in creating experiences that reflect the character and diversity of our islands,” said Caroline Anderson, interim president and CEO of HTA. “Through the Community Enrichment Program, we’re supporting initiatives that strengthen communities, celebrate local culture and create meaningful experiences for residents and visitors alike.”

 

The selected projects run from July through December 2026 and represent a diverse range of cultural festivals, agricultural events, educational programs, sporting events and community experiences across the state.

 

The organizations selected for the 2026 Community Enrichment Program are:

 

 

Statewide

 

Dates Project Organization Islands
July 17-19 and Aug. 22, 2026 8th Garden Island Boogie Board Classic and the 18th Hubb Keiki Fest Kaikeha Kauaʻi and Oʻahu
July-November 2026 Hot Kūpuna Nights Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island
September-December 2026 Hawaiʻi Stays with You: Voluntourism Expansion Program Kanu Hawaiʻi Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island
Oct. 18 and Nov. 8, 2026 Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival — Kona and Kauaʻi Ki-Hoʻalu Foundation Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi
December 2026 Mahiʻai2Visit Hawaiʻi Agricultural Foundation Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, Lānaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island

 

Hawaiʻi Island

 

Dates Project Organization
August and November 2026 Kahilu Fall Festival Series Kahilu Theatre Foundation
July-September 2026 Niaulani Nature Trail, Cultural Experiences and Forest Fair Volcano Art Center
July-November 2026 From Blossom to Barrel: Hawaiʻi Honey and Pollinator Experience Bird and Bee Animal Sanctuary
July-December 2026 Ke Kai Ola Open Houses and Volunteer Conservation Program The Marine Mammal Center — Ke Kai Ola
Sept. 10-12, 2026 Hawaiʻi Songwriting Festival 2026 Hawaiʻi Songwriting Festival
Sept. 2-3, 2026 Paniolo Preservation Society 25th Anniversary Celebration and Ka Mea Kanu ʻAi: Paniolo BBQ and Slack Key Celebration Nā‘ālehu Theatre
Sept. 3-7, 2026 52nd Annual Queen Liliʻuokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Race Kai ʻŌpua Canoe Club
Sept. 19, 2026 ʻUlu Festival Friends of Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
Nov. 6-7, 2026 ʻAha Hawaiʻi Kuauli Workshop Series Hawaiʻi Island Pacific and Asia Cultural Celebration
Nov. 6-15, 2026 55th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

 

Kauaʻi

 

Dates Project Organization
July 10-11, 2026 Soto Zen Bon Festival Kauaʻi Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji
July-December 2026 Downtown Līhuʻe Night Market Rice Street Business Association
July-December 2026 Downtown Līhuʻe Annual Events Rice Street Business Association
Aug. 1-2, 2026 Heiva I Kauaʻi Tahitian Dance and Drumming Competition Heiva I Kauaʻi
Sept. 6, 2026 The 2026 Kauaʻi Marathon and Half Marathon The Kauaʻi Marathon
Sept. 20-26, 2026 Kauaʻi Mokihana Festival 2026 Mālie Foundation
September-November 2026 Olohena ʻĀINA Center: Connecting Visitors to Local Food Mālama Kauaʻi
Oct. 18, 2026 2026 Kauaʻi Chocolate and Coffee Festival Mālama Kauaʻi
Oct. 9-10, 2026 Matsuri Kauaʻi 2026 (41st) Kauaʻi Japanese Cultural Society
Nov. 7, 2026 Eō Emalani I Alakaʻi Historic Waimea Theater and Cultural Arts Center
Dec. 19, 2026 2026 Waimea Light Parade Historic Waimea Theater and Cultural Arts Center

 

Lānaʻi

 

Dates Project Organization
Sept. 26, 2026 Lānaʻi Festivals of Aloha Festivals of Aloha

 

Maui

 

Dates Project Organization
July 2026 Mālama Pono Pacific Whale Foundation
July and September 2026 Hui Noʻeau Exhibitions: Celebrating the Visual Arts of Hawaiʻi Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center
July, October and December 2026 Hāna Arts Hōʻike — Summer Concert and Community Event Series Hāna Arts
July-December 2026 Reclaiming ʻĀina Momona: Restoring the Kapoho Loko Iʻa Kalo Hawaiʻi Land Trust
July-December 2026 E Kanu Kākou “Let’s Plant Together” Auwahi Forest Restoration Project
July-December 2026 Wailuku First Friday Festivals of Aloha
Aug. 14, 2026 Lahaina O-Bon Festival Festivals of Aloha
Aug. 21-22, 2026 Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival Festivals of Aloha
Sept. 5, 2026 Lā ʻUlu Breadfruit Day 2026 Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Sept. 11-12, 2026 Lights for Lahaina Aloha Amplified
Sept. 18-19, 2026 Celebration of the Arts Festivals of Aloha
Sept. 27, 2026 ʻUkulele Festival 2026 Maui Arts and Cultural Center
Oct. 17-24, 2026 Hāna Festivals of Aloha Festivals of Aloha
October-December 2026 Mahalo Quest Series Aloha Amplified

 

Molokaʻi

 

Dates Project Organization
July 17-18, 2026 2026 Molokaʻi Holokai Hoʻolauleʻa Youth in Motion
Sept. 25, 2026 Molokaʻi Canoe Festivals Presents Kulāia 2026 ʻAha Kukui O Molokaʻi
Oct. 9, 2026 Molokaʻi Festivals of Aloha Festivals of Aloha

 

Oʻahu

 

Dates Project Organization
July 18-19, 2026 The 5th Annual Lūʻau — Hawaiʻi’s Largest Grass Volleyball Tournament Lanikai Athletic Club
July 23-26, 2026 2026 Honua Finals: The World Cup of Interscholastic Surfing CUE Collaborative
Aug. 1, 2026 Legacy Stories Hawaiʻi Theatre Center
Aug. 8, 2026 22nd Annual Korean Festival Hawaiʻi Korean Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Aug. 22, 2026 Chinatown Building QR Code Project Chinese Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Aug. 29-30, 2026 50th Annual Honolulu Intertribal Powwow Hoʻopili Tribal Council
August and September 2026 Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals Ocean Music Action
August-December 2026 Hotel Street Art Hui: Steps and Stories Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance
Sept. 5-6, 2026 44th Okinawan Festival Hawaiʻi United Okinawa Association
Sept. 25-27, 2026 Intimate Korea: 2026 Korean Independent Film Showcase in Hawaiʻi Now Production Films
Sept. 25-27, 2026 Honolulu Century and the Ride Aloha Festival Hawaiʻi Bicycling League
Oct. 17-18, 2026 Lea Salonga in Concert with HSO Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 5, 2026 FEAST Summit Hawaiʻi Ag and Culinary Alliance
Nov. 14-15, 2026 2026 Kāne Cup Volleyball Tournament Lanikai Athletic Club
Nov. 21, 2026 Skyline Stations of Abundance at Honouliuli City and County of Honolulu
Dec. 12-13, 2026 2026 Hawaiʻi ʻUkulele Festival Kala Foundation

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