City and County of Honolulu announces winners of Lei Day contest

Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation announced the winners of the City and County of Honolulu’s annual Lei Contest, which is part of a Lei Day Celebration at Kapiʻolani Park on May 1.

This year, contestants received almost $5,400 in prize money. More than 130 lei were entered in various categories, including contests sorted by lei style color and materials as well as by lei-maker age. 

Dale Mar T. Acoba won the Mayor’s Grand Prize for a lei kui made of hypericum and yarrow.

The lei entered into the contest will be taken to Mauna ‘Ala, or the royal mausoleum, and Kawaiāha‘o Church on May 2 where they will be placed on the graves of aliʻi. 

Lei Day started in 1927 with a few people wearing lei in Downtown Honolulu. Today, it includes musical and hula performances, lei-making workshops, merchants and a lei contest.

This year, the Lei Court included Queen Lei Llanos, along with First Princess Pualeilani Kamahoahoa and Princess Xian Pomare. 

Check out Aloha State Daily’s Guide to Lei Day, which includes an upcoming free performance by Kalani Peʻa and Antonio “Akoni” Robles at Kaimana Beach Hotel at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 2, and another performance by Peʻa and award-winning singers and kumu hula at Hawaiʻi Theatre on Saturday, May 3, plus a free lei-making workshop at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.