Holo Holo Music Festival returns to Sacramento for 2-day run at Heart Health Park

SACRAMENTO — The second Holo Holo Music Festival kicked off Saturday in Sacramento.

The island vibes and reggae rhythms hit all the right notes as crowds gathered at Heart Health Park in Cal Expo. The traveling music festival celebrates island and reggae music featuring popular artists from Hawaii and Polynesia.

"It's always good to see people come together, and we're all about a family environment," Holo Holo emcee Simaile Lutu said.

The festival will stop in Las Vegas and San Diego, but Sacramento shines on the tour thanks to its diverse community and Hawaiian and Polynesian culture that make it a true standout.

That's one of the reasons why it's larger this year.

"Here we are, now returning to Sacramento with two stages packed with the best in life music," Holo Holo spokesperson Dana Greer said. "Couldn't ask for more."

Holo Holo festival's growth parallels Sacramento's effort to make the city known for its music scene.

In last year's State of the City Address, Mayor Darrell Steinberg dedicated a full day to address how to turn-up the volume to make the city the music capital of the West Coast.

"The number of gigs for local artists needs to go way up," the mayor said.

That includes things like music festivals. Country music festival Golden Sky and rock festival Aftershock are both set to return to Sacramento next month.

In a statement, Visit Sacramento President Mike Testa says the city welcomes the Holo Holo Festival to Sacramento's growing festival portfolio. He said:

"The energy of the lineup really aligns with the spirit of our city, and we can't wait for music fans to come and celebrate with us later on this year."

Aftershock is set to happen October 10-13. Golden Sky will happen the following weekend, October 18-20.