Linda Mentzer
October 20, 2025 • Nate Goore • News
With a career in technology and a passion for preserving Hawaiian culture, Linda Mentzer brings both organizational skill and heart to her role with HIMELE
Linda's connection to HIMELE began through her husband, Dan, who started taking steel guitar lessons from Alan Akaka. As they attended festivals together, Linda naturally became more involved. When Dan began performing and giving presentations on the history of the steel guitar in Waikīkī and schools across the islands, Linda was often behind the camera, capturing the moments.
Her support grew into hands-on volunteer work-helping with festival merchandise sales and eventually taking over sales operations when longtime HIMELE volunteer Sandy Sardinha stepped down. Linda is always there at the festival merchandise booth to help festival attendees purchase items, answer questions about the festival, or just talk story between performers.
Linda is a strong believer in HIMELE's mission to restore the Hawaiian steel guitar to its rightful place in the islands' musical landscape. "Twenty years ago," she says, "you could hear lap steel everywhere – Duke's, the Marriott, Halekulani. Now it's rare."
She knows the key to reversing that trend lies in reaching the next generation – getting young people excited, trained, and ready to carry the tradition forward.
Please see the complete tribute here.
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2026 Festivals and Workshops
Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna LaniNovember 19-22, 2026 – Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection, Waimea, Hawai‘i Island
2027 Festivals and Workshops
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘iJanuary 30, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM HST
Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center, Kapolei
Hilo Steel Guitar Festival
March 13, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 3:15 PM HST
Prince Kuhio Plaza, Hilo, Hawai‘i
NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival
April 3, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM HST
Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center, Kapolei
Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival
May 2, 2027 - 10:30 AM - 2:45 PM HST
Kukui Grove Center, Lihue, Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall
June 12, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM HST
Windward Mall, Kane‘ohe
Royal Hawaiian Center Presents Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week - July 4-10, 2027
July 5, 6, 8, 2027 – 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM HST (Nightly Concerts)
Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī
2nd Annual Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila - Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest
July 7, 2027 – 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī
Royal Hawaiian Center Presents J-FESTA 2027 - Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival
July 9, 2027 – 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM HST
Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī
Royal Hawaiian Center Presents Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival
July 10, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM and 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM HST
Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī
NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall
August 14, 2027 – 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM HST
Windward Mall, Kane‘ohe
Maui Steel Guitar Festival
October 16, 2027 - 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM HST
The Shops At Wailea, Wailea, Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani
November 11-14, 2027 – Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection, Waimea, Hawai‘i Island (tentative)
Other Events
2026 Events
Steel Guitar FridaysEvery Friday – 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī
2027 Events
AISGC Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival #July 22-24, 2027
Winchester Towne Square Community Centre, Winchester, Indiana
Austin Steeel Guitar Fest #
September 30-October 2, 2027
Austin Marriott South, Austin, Texas
* Tentative
# Registration Fee Required
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HIMELE is a Hawai‘i non-profit corporation that supports music enrichment and education for people of all ages. Our purpose is to educate, promote, and perpetuate Hawaiian music, Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian musical instruments.
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Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium
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Kona Steel Guitar Festival
Community Festivals
Ka Makana Ali‘i – Kapolei
Windward Mall – Kāne‘ohe
NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals
Livestream Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase