Weather-permitting, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are scheduled to depart Mauliola (Sand Island), Oʻahu this Monday for Hilo where the canoes will make their final stop on the Pae ʻĀina Statewide Sail before leaving Hawaiʻi for three years for the Moananuiākea Voyage. The canoes are expected to arrive in Hilo on Wednesday afternoon and stay to engage with the community and make final voyage preparations. The County of Hawaiʻi, Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, Grand Naniloa Hotel and the Hilo Community are hosting the following public events:

WELCOME CEREMONY AT GRAND NANILOA HOTEL
Tentatively scheduled for afternoon of Wednesday, May 21 (Weather-permitting)

PUBLIC DOCKSIDE ENGAGEMENT AT GRAND NANILOA HOTEL
Thursday, May 22, 3 to 6pm

HILO’S HŌKŪLEʻA HOʻOLAULEʻA
Saturday, May 24, 9am to 3pm
Wailoa Boat Harbor (Makai side of the Wailoa Bridge near the Suisan Fish Market)
Hilo welcomes and celebrates Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia with dockside engagement, music, entertainment, food trucks and more. During this event, Lihiwai Street from Kamehameha Avenue to Banyan Drive will be closed from 6 a.m.-4 p.m. A one-way traffic pattern will be in place on the portion of Banyan Drive adjacent to Liliʻuokalani Gardens. (see parking and road closure map below).

“We are honored to welcome Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to Hilo as they embark on the next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage,” said County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda. “This visit is an opportunity to celebrate our heritage of exploration while deepening our shared responsibility to the ocean that connects all of us. Together, these canoes carry the hopes, values and spirit of Hawaiʻi. We look forward to extending our heartfelt aloha to the crew as they sail across the Pacific Ocean inspiring the next generation of navigators and stewards of our planet.”

Depending on weather conditions, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are tentatively scheduled to depart Hilo for French Polynesia on May 30.

The Moananuiākea Voyage will traverse approximately 43,000 nautical miles, visiting 36 countries and archipelagos, nearly 100 indigenous territories, and more than 345 ports. The voyage involves around 400 crew members from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) recently celebrated the 50th birthday of Hōkūleʻa on March 8, 2025. This milestone marks a half-century of cultural revival, environmental advocacy, and a renewed connection to the earth and ocean. For the latest updates on the Moananuiākea Voyage visit hokulea.com and @hokuleacrew on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

May 24 Wailoa Boat Harbor Parking and Traffic Diagram