Every year on Memorial Day, thousands of people gather together at Magic Island to honor ancestors and loved ones who have passed away. They watch with warm remembrance, hope for peace, and wish for a better future for the next generation as more than 1,100 candle-lit lanterns float away from shore.The ceremony uniquely combines the local culture of hula with the Japanese Shomyo Choir and Taiko drums.
http://www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com

Here's a couple more pics of the ceremony.

Hey Turbo,
Nice pic's, thanks for sharing! I was down at AMBP on Sunday AM and saw the stage and scaffolding, assorted tents, a TV broadcasting truck, the catwalk, and a few canoes parked on the beach and didn't realize just how big that event has become.

I give you credit for hanging out down there with all those people; hope you rode your moped down! :-o

thanks for the pics. i thought about going but was too lazy to deal with the crowd. i'd love to be in the water to take some shots!

Nice pics Turbo I knew that event would present some interesting photo opportunities but I had to work. I did watch it on TV and it was really dramatic with the background music and visuals. :cool:

Thanks. Not as exciting as Nalu's pics (taking pics is the last thing I would think of if the fire was that close to my house). Anyway, my daughter and son-in-law wanted to take the granddaughter so I just tagged along. Parking at Ala Moana Center was surprisingly good. We stayed in the middle of the park to stay away from the crowds so there's no up close pics. Also, I had dropped my 24-105mm/4 L lens on concrete last week so had to borrow my friend's 28-70mm/2.8 L lens which I was still trying to get used to. Monopod worked great although I can hear sand inside now. Was a fantastic evening with perfect weather for watching the sun go down. Interesting to see all the camera buffs and what they were using.