Observatory Staff Join in Merrie Monarch Festivities

Merrie Monarch Hula Festival

About 60 staff from most of the Maunakea Observatories (including a strong contingent from Gemini) participated in the Merrie Monarch parade in Hilo on April 2nd. Reports from participants indicate that a large number of parade watchers (who lined the streets for several miles) expressed vocal, and extremely positive, responses to the observatories’ participation in the parade. The Merrie Monarch parade is part of the week-long annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival which attracts thousands of visitors from Hawai‘i and around the world. The hula competitions are also broadcast via television and the web, see http://www.merriemonarch.com/ for more details.