‘Imiloa Astronomy Center invites the community to its free 12th Birthday Pa‘ina from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 25 with the theme, “Celebrating ‘Olelo Hawai‘i,” featuring outdoor and indoor activities for the entire ‘ohana centered around the Hawaiian language.

“‘Imiloa is thrilled to team up with organizations from across the island to share Hawaiian language and practices of Hawaiian culture that thrive in our community,” said Ka‘iu Kimura, ‘Imiloa executive director. “We’re very grateful to KTA Super Stores for sponsoring this event and allowing the center to be open free of charge for this fun filled day!”

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Birthday offerings will include free birthday cake to the first 1,000 visitors, scavenger hunt, hula lessons, games, native garden activity and engaging activities in ‘Imiloa’s exhibit hall.

There also will be special shows for family and kids in the planetarium, science explorations, various displays and activities hosted by community partners, such as University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Hawaiian Language, Maunakea Observatories and much more.

KTA Super Stores will offer a food tent with ‘ono food and beverage options available for purchase throughout the day.

“As a bilingual center, ‘Imiloa strives to share our ‘Olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language) with visitors and locals alike through our exhibits, interactions and programming,” Kimura said.

“Twelve years of groundbreaking, cutting-edge discoveries have enriched our Hawaii Island community and inspired generations of explorers and innovators,” said Toby Taniguchi, president and chief operating officer of KTA Super Stores. “KTA is delighted to support such an advanced and state-of-the-art center focused on life-long learning.”

As a special birthday gift to the community and for one day only during the pa‘ina, ‘Imiloa will be offering $10 off all levels of membership — for new and renewing members.

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The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii is a world-class center for informal science education located on the UH-Hilo campus at 600 ‘Imiloa Place. Its centerpiece is a 12,000-square-foot exhibit hall, showcasing astronomy and Hawaiian culture as parallel journeys of human exploration guided by the light of the stars.

For more information, visit ImiloaHawaii.org or follow ‘Imiloa on Facebook.