HIMELE Announces the 2023 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience

August 21, 2023 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The 2023 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani will be presented on December 14-17, 2023, at the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection. The resort is located in Waimea, Hawai‘i, on Hawai‘i Island about an hour north of Kona.

This year's Experience is again coordinated with the resort's Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a cultural program at the Eva Woods Cottage. This monthly program is usually scheduled to coincide with a full moon but full moons in November and December coincided with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, requiring the event to be rescheduled.

HIMELE has resumed school visitations so these will be offered to local area schools. Any classroom wanting to participate is encouraged to visit the festival website and fill out a contact form.

The Experience will also include a vintage steel guitar exhibit, a public kanikapila jam session and Thursday musical performances at the Surf Shack and the resort's HāLani Restaurant. The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival concert will be presented on Friday and livestreamed, featuring steel guitar artists from Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, and Maui.

The 2022 Experience Workshop/Talk Story was well attended.

Saturday activities include the Open Stage performances and workshops. The resort will present its Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a cultural program Saturday evening.

Sunday brunch entertainment by festival musicians will be offered to festival and resort guests. Hands-on steel guitar opportunities will be available at various times and locations throughout the festival and the festival store will offer merchandise available for purchase.

Featured steel guitarists for the festival concert are still in the planning stages and will be announced on the festival's website when the program is finalized. NextGen steel guitarists are also expected to perform.

Please visit the Festival's Website for program information and the event schedule.