The Honoka‘a Heritage Center will host the 2024 Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival over a two-week period (October 5-20, 2024) marking the 30th anniversary of the closing of the last local sugar plantation. The festival will celebrate the rich history and lasting legacy of an era and an industry that permanently shaped Honoka‘a and the surrounding Hāmākua region, while also exploring newer agricultural initiatives with promise for the future.
Recognition Event for Former Hāmākua Plantation Workers
Inter-generational Softball Tournament (Camp vs. Camp)
Parade through Honoka’a featuring plantation camp themes and former workers, and ending at Hāmākua/County Park for County Fair/Agriculture Fest
Hāmākua Fair: an old-style County Fair/Agriculture Fest, including historical exhibits, “sugar themed” demos/contests; “plantation village”; sustainable ag expo; student project displays; contests (art, animal, food, ag); pumpkin patch; Festival Concert (multiple stage performances); food vendors; and other keiki activities
Cultural History Nights (Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, Puerto Rican)
HYRO/Little Britches Youth Rodeo/Additional exhibits
World premiere of new documentary capturing the oral history and experiences of plantation workers
Charity Golf Tournament (celebrating the history of the hundred-year old course)
and much more to come!