Puakenikeni, pua kalaunu, Pele’s hair, plumeria—the list goes on of the beautiful flowers featured as part of a lei-making contest at this year’s May 1 Lei Day Celebration. Hosted by the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at Kapi‘olani Park, this year’s event carried a theme of “Mai ka ho‘oku‘i a ka hālāwai,” translated to “from zenith to horizon.”
Some 145 entries were submitted across multiple categories. The four main divisions were lei lanakila mua (beginner), lei pāpale (hat lei), lei po‘omana‘o (lei featuring the theme material), and lei ‘aī‘aī (neck lei). First, second, and third-place winners were selected from each category, with a winning prize pool of nearly $5,400 split between every award. The day after the contest, lei were taken to the graves of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i at the Royal Mausoleum State Monument-Mauna ‘Ala.
Melvin “Moki” Tracy Labra won the Mayor’s Grand Prize for his gorgeous lei kui, made of hau, kī and tricolor dracaena…