A horse and rider parade through Waimea with a beautiful lei of Maui roses and a several-foot-long pa’u dress at the 38th annual Paniolo Parade.
Groups of local ranchers make terrific lei for their horses and themselves to honor the Hawaiian Paniolo traditions so prevalent in this area. The lei can take days to make, first gathering the flowers and greenery from the field, and then threading and weaving the intricate patterns.
The pa’u worn by the women riders are unique gowns between 8 and 12 feet long (sometimes as long as 24 feet) made of silk or other flowing material. They were originally made to cover Hawaiian women’s gowns to keep them clean until they arrived at their destination. Being a covering and being so long they can be quite an ordeal to put on.
