Local businesses welcome eager Merrie Monarch crowds back to Hilo after pandemic hiatus
The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival began 59 years ago in Hilo as an attempt to bring in tourist revenue in the wake of the devastating 1961 tsunami. After the festival’s pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, local businesses are taking advantage of crowds eager to do some Merrie Monarch-related shopping. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.
Source: hawaiipublicradio.org