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Aloha to our 93rd Lei Court candidates!



O‘AHU - The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) proudly announces the candidates for the 93rd Annual Lei Court Selection!

Each year, the Lei Court Selection rotates through four age brackets. This year is Nā Mākua ‘O‘o (the elders in training), and will feature six candidates who are between 46 to 60 years of age:

•Nina Agbayani
•Natalie Brown Ah Quin
•Kēhau Holi-Robb
•Kealalei Mezurashi-Collier
•Nina Miyata
•Kalehua Tolentino
•
The selection event will be held on Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kapolei Hale. 

Each candidate will be scored on the following skills performed on-site: one-hour lei making, English and Hawaiian language proficiency, hula ‘auana, poise, and personality. At the end of the event, the Lei Queen and her princesses will be selected forming the Lei Court.

Once selected, the Lei Court will preside over the 94th Annual Lei Day Celebration festivities, and will be the City’s Ambassadors of Aloha at a variety of public events.

For the first time since 2019, the Lei Day Celebration is scheduled to return to Kapi‘olani Park on Sunday, May 1, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  The theme for the celebration is Lei Wao Nahele (forest lei).

Along with Hawaiian entertainment, demonstrations, and exhibits, the celebration event will feature a lei contest exhibit showcasing some of the most exquisitely crafted lei in a variety of colors and methods.

The first Lei Day was celebrated on May 1, 1927 with a few people wearing lei in downtown Honolulu. Over time, more and more people began to wear lei on May 1, and thus began the tradition of “May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i.” The first lei Queen, Miss Nina Bowman, was crowned by Honolulu Mayor Charles Arnold in 1928. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large, in-person events were restricted, our island community found innovative ways to celebrate this uniquely Hawaiian holiday. This included a video presentation to mark Lei Day in 2021, and the Nā Lei Koa in 2020 to honor our first responders.

For more information about the Lei Court Selection, Lei Day Celebration, and an awesome historical write-up of the history of Lei Day in Hawai‘i visit bit.ly/HonoluluLeiDay

Funding provided by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Kūkulu Ola Program, Hula Grill Waikīkī, Handcrafters and Artisans Alliance, and Friends of Honolulu Parks and Recreation.
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