Hawaii, the Aloha State, has opportunities to win, but let's take a look at some trivia before we get to the contests.

• The word aloha is used as a greeting and parting salutation. It is of Polynesian origin from the word alofa and has several meanings including mercy, love and compassion.


• While Hawaii is the widest state in terms of the span of the islands, it's still 43rd in terms of size among the states being only just over 6400 square miles of land area.


• The constantly active Kilauea volcano has added approximately 500 new acres to the Hawaii's Big Island.

As of this writing, Hawaii is one of a few states that doesn't have a lottery, but below are some other chances to win.

Arts and Crafts: These type of events have vendors that sell their creations and also supplies for crafting. You may also find giveaways and contests. The Island Craft Bulletin website (icb-web.net) is a great resource to find monthly listings of festivals in the state.

Beauty Pageants: The page for Hawaii at PageantCenter.com has state listings for events where women, girls, boys and men can showcase their unique beauty and talent to win prestige and prizes. Miss Vamp Hawaii prides itself on offering an opportunity for nontraditional beauties to take part in pageant culture. Young kids, both boys and girls) from 4 and up may find a home at Pacific Island Princess (pacificislandprincess.org). Miss Hawaii USA (misshawaiipageant.com) and Miss Hawaii America (misshawaii.org) are the websites for the state counterparts to the national contests of Miss USA and Miss America respectively.

Food: FoodReference.com has a seasonal listing of food festivals for each state. Sample some of Hawaii's unique culinary delights and possibly win some prizes in the process. Professional and amateur cooks may find opportunities to share their recipes for competition.

Media: The Hawaii News Now website, the online home of KHNL and KGMB, has a contest section with up-to-date listings from around the region. Visit hawaiinewsnow.com and hover over the Community section to find the contests subheading to click on.

Outdoors: The state is home to popular big fishing tournaments that award cash prizes, trophies and more. Learn more at the Hawaiian Billfish Series site (hawaiianbillfishseries.com).

State Farm Fair: The Hawaii State Farm Fair has an over 50-year history of showcasing the agriculture, gardening and livestock on the island. The fairs also have entertainment and cultural events. There are showmanship and food contests including watermelon eating and pie judging contests. Visit hawaiistatefarmfair.org for more info.

Travel: Go Hawaii is the official tourism website for the state. Go to gohawaii.com and search for contests to bring up the latests. You'll find a varied list including golf outings, art, hula contests, lei making, costume contests, beach runs and many more.

Source:

Fun Hawaiian Facts. Big Island Guru, 2014, https://www.bigislandguru.com/fun-hawaiian-facts.html.

For those interested in Hawaiian travel:
Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook
Lonely Planet Hawaii (Travel Guide)