Saturday Ho‘olaule‘a Part 1

The 1^st Annual Hilo Steel Guitar Festival was presented on Saturday, March 7 at Hilo's Prince Kuhio Plaza. The festival featured steel guitarists Alan Akaka, Kapono Lopes, Mālie Lyman, Pōmaika‘i Brown, Ken Emerson, Bobby Ingano, and Dwight Tokumoto with Mark Yamanaka as Dwight's special guest. NextGEN Steel Guitarists Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, and Isaac Woodward, and Charlie Ahuna with his classmates also performed.

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• Emcee Jake Kūliaikanuʻu Fernandez.
• Featured steel guitarist Alan Akaka.
• Backup musicians Kaipo Lindsey and David Woodward.
• Alan Akaka and Kaipo Lindsey.
• Backup musician Helene Woodward.
• Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Helene, Alan, Kaipo, and David.
• A nice turnout for the festival.
• Helene, Alan, Kaipo, and David.
• HIMELEʻs Media Coordinator Dr. Michiko Akaka records Helene, Alan, Kaipo, and David.
• Helene Woodward, Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Jake Fernandez.
• Featured steel guitarist Kapono Lopes and Kaipo Lindsey.
• Helene Woodward, Kapono Lopes, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Kapono Lopes with Helene Woodward.
• David Woodward.
• Helene and Kapono.
• Mālie Lyman joins Kapono with Helene Woodward and David Woodward.
• Kapono Lopes and Mālie Lyman.
• Another view of the festival audience.
• NextGEN steel guitarist Hiʻipoi Lindsey with Helene Woodward, Alan Akaka, and dad Kaipo Lindsey.
• Hiʻipoi Lindsey with Helene Woodward and Alan Akaka.
• Hiʻipoi with Alan and Kaipo.
• Helene Woodward, Alan Akaka, Hiʻipoi Lindsey, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Brett Zimmerman joins Dan Tremblay and Linda Mentzer at the hands-on table.
• Featured steel guitarist Mālie Lyman with Alan Akaka and Kapoi Lindsey.
• Mālie Lyman with Helene Woodward, Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Mālie with Alan and Kaipo.
• Dan Tremblay assists a festival guest at the hands-on table.
• Mālie Lyman with Alan Akaka and Kapono Lopes.
• Helene Woodward, Alan Akaka, Mālie Lyman, Kapono Lopes, and David Woodward.
• Guests enjoying the festival.
• The hands-on table was very popular with festival guests.

Back to Gallery: 2026 Festival

Photography by Don Rostow ©2026 by Don Rostow and HIMELE.