This week, a blood worm moon filled the night sky, the Hōkūleʻa dropped by, and Hilo prepared for a marquee hula festival.

As part of the 50th anniversary of theHōkule'a the canoe's masts were lowered and placed on the deck so that the vessel could pass under the Ala Moana Bridge at low tide. Hōkule'a was guided down the Ala War canal to be docked outside the Hawaii Convention Center at the Grand Stairway. Photographed Sunday March 9th, 2025(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
As part of the 50th anniversary of the Hōkule’a, the canoe’s masts were lowered and placed on the deck so that the vessel could pass under the Ala Moana Bridge at low tide. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
As part of the 50th anniversary of theHōkule'a the canoe's masts were lowered and placed on the deck so that the vessel could pass under the Ala Moana Bridge at low tide. Hōkule'a was guided down the Ala War canal to be docked outside the Hawaii Convention Center at the Grand Stairway. Photographed Sunday March 9th, 2025(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Hōkūle’a was guided down the Ala Wai canal to be docked outside the Hawaii Convention Center at the Grand Stairway.(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Honolulu Festival concluded its week of celebrations with a parade along Kalakaua Avenue on Sunday March 9th and included a group of Hula Dancers from the Waseda University Hawaiian Ethnic Dance Research Society dancing along the route. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Honolulu Festival concluded a week of celebrations with a parade on Kalakaua Avenue, which included a group of hula dancers from Waseda University. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Festival parade included a single unicyclist mom who pushed along her bubble blowing child in its decorated stroller. David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
A unicyclist in the Honolulu Festival parade has her hands full, pushing her bubble-blowing child in a decorated stroller while balancing on a single wheel. David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
The Honolulu Festival concluded with a 15 minute firework show choreographed by the Nagaoke Fireworks company. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Honolulu Festival concluded with a firework show choreographed by Nagaoke Fireworks. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Honolulu Festival concluded with a 15 minute firework show choreographed by the Nagaoke Fireworks company. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The 15-minute firework display at Waikīkī beach capped the 29th annual Honolulu Festival. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
Lead carpenter Joey Kaua drives a forklift with a section of the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival stage Monday, March 10, 2025, in Hilo's Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium. It will take one week to build the stage and auxiliary structures. The marquee hula festival runs April 20-26. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Lead carpenter Joey Kaua drives a forklift with a section of the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival stage in Hilo’s Edith Kanakaole Stadium. The hula festival runs April 20-26. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Carpenters assemble the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival stage by using overlap joints for the stage surface to sit flush atop the structure’s foundation legs Monday, March 10, 2025, in Hilo's Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium. The marquee hula festival runs April 20-26. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Carpenters built the Merrie Monarch Festival stage — a focal point of the marquee hula festival — using overlap joints for the stage surface to sit flush atop the structure’s foundation legs. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Carpenters assemble the stage for the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival Monday, March 10, 2025, in Hilo's Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium. It will take a week to construct the stage and auxiliary structures. The marquee hula festival runs April 20-26. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
It will take a week to construct the stage and auxiliary structures for the Merrie Merrie Monarch Festival, which starts April 20 in Hilo. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Waiākae High School librarian Leslie Fukushima sorts books to display Monday, March 10, 2025, in Hilo. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Librarian Leslie Fukushima sorts books to display Waiākae High School library in Hilo. The library shelves are emptying in the coming months, and Fukushima is looking for a new job, part of a trend of shrinking school libraries in Hawaiʻi. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Azaleia Young-Kawaʻa died Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Honolulu. Affectionately known as Hunny Bunz, the 7-year-old of ‘Ewa Beach succumbed to the injuries she received after colliding with an automobile while riding an e-bike on Feb. 27. Hawai’i state law requires cyclists younger than 16-years-old to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet. State law also states 15-years-old is the minimum age to operate an electric bicycle. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Azaleia Young-Kawaʻa, affectionately known as Hunny Bunz, died Wednesday, March 12, in Honolulu, due to injuries the 7-year-old ‘Ewa Beach girl sustained after colliding with an automobile while riding an e-bike on Feb. 27. Hawai’i requires cyclists younger than 16 to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet. State law also sets 15 as the minimum age to operate an e-bicycle. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Erica Kawaina’s “Kapa Lele o Hawai’i” stained-glass ceiling in Kaʻahumanu Hale offers a rainbow of colors in a building where the serious business of the First Circuit Court is conducted daily Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Honolulu. The colors resemble a large Hawai’ian tapa cloth which used pigments from tropical plants. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Erica Kawaina’s “Kapa Lele o Hawai’i” stained-glass ceiling in Kaʻahumanu Hale offers a rainbow of colors in a building where the serious business of the First Circuit Court is conducted daily. The colors are intended to resemble a large Hawaiian tapa cloth, which traditionally uses pigments from tropical plants. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
First Circuit Court calls Kaʻahumanu Hale home Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Honolulu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Bougainvillea blooms make First Circuit Court’s Kaʻahumanu Hale in Honolulu more inviting. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen receives a lei from Aunty Mopsy Aarona before delivering the state of the county address Friday, March 7, 2025, in Kahului. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen receives a lei from Aunty Mopsy Aarona before delivering the state of the county address on Friday, March 7, in Kahului. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka performs a hula before Maui Mayor Richard Bissen delivers the state of the county address Friday, March 7, 2025, in Kahului. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka performs a hula before Maui Mayor Richard Bissen delivered the state of the county address. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen gives the crowd a look after pulling out his ukulele to lead “Hawai’i Aloha” after giving the state of the county address Friday, March 7, 2025, in Kahului. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen gives the crowd a “Sorry, not sorry!” look after pulling out his ukulele to lead “Hawai’i Aloha” at the end of his state of the county address. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The blood worm moon is seen Thursday night during a break in the passing clouds in East Honolulu. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2025)
The blood worm moon is seen Thursday night during a break in the passing clouds in East Honolulu. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2025)
The Janet Marie is the latest addition to the Pasha Fleet of container ships bringing cargo to Honolulu. The ship shown leaving Honolulu port on Friday March 14th and is en route to the port of Oakland, United States (USA), sailing at a speed of 17.7 knots and expected to arrive there on Mar 19, 11:30. The vessel JANET MARIE is a Container Ship built in 2023 (2 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of United States (USA). (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The MV Janet Marie, built in 2023, is the latest addition to the Pasha Fleet of container ships bringing cargo to Honolulu. The ship, shown leaving Honolulu port on Friday, March 14, is expected to arrive at the port of Oakland on Mar 19. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)

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