Merrie Monarch Festival History. Click here now for the full guide by hawaii travel with kids!! It’s a compilation of diverse events steeped in hawaiian culture.
Held each spring in the big island town of hilo, the festival showcases the art of the hawaiian hula by celebrating the legacy of the merrie monarch, king david kalakaua,. The merrie monarch festival honors king david la‘amea kalakaua, hawaii’s last king, who reigned from 1874 to 1891.