Three "Next Generation" Steel Guitar students of Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music will perform for festival attendees' enjoyment. Ranging in ages from 10 to 16 years old, these steel guitarists will play individually and together as a group. NextGen steel guitarists Mālie, Alexis and Keen will perform at various times throughout the festival.

Maui steel guitarist Joel Katz will once again provide steel guitar entertainment in the hotel's lobby on Friday afternoon. Anyone is welcome to sit in on Joel's session. Joel will also appear on Saturday's Open Stage program, individually, and with his steel guitar students from the University of Hawai‘i-Maui College.

The Festival is pleased announce that Mele Fong will conduct the ‘Ukulele workshops on Saturday. Mele is a professional singer, song arranger, and master of multiple genres and strumming styles for the ukulele. Mele plays ukulele, guitar, and piano, dances hula, and teaches Hawaiian history. She performs as a soloist, in the professional husband and wife duo The Hawaiian Serenaders. See her website for more information about Mele.

Register online to save your seat at her festival workshops. Click here to register.

This year's festival will feature two different Ho'olaule'a programs on Friday and Saturdayeach hosted by a team of emcees. Maui actress, comedienne, storyteller and radio personality Kathy Collins will team with celebrity, entertainer, radio personality, and the voice of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival Kimo Kahoano to present each evening's featured musicians. Each ho'olaule'a will showcase a different lineup of the Festival's featured performers. The Saturday finale will feature all that evening's Ho‘olaule‘a steel guitarists playing together as a group.

An exhibit featuring vintage lap steel guitars circa mid-1930s will be presented at the festival. This exhibit will feature vintage Richenbacher and Gibson lap steel guitars and also include a 1950s Magnatone lap steel guitar. Come and see some of the first lap steel guitars ever manufactured

The 2016 Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival poster was designed by Addison Ching and features pictures of the master performers superimposed on a picture of a Recording King steel guitar. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.