HI Out & About: Things to do on the islands
Hawaii Island
Hawaii Performing Arts Festival: 2022 Summer Festival
Various Venues
It’s time for the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival featuring concerts, fully staged musical theater and operatic productions. Enjoy upcoming performances July 7-9, 10, 12, 14-17 and more. For full program and ticket information, visit the HPAF website.
Volunteer: Stewardship at the Summit
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | 808-985-6011
Join Stewardship at the Summit to help remove invasive, non-native plant species, 9 a.m.-noon, July 9, 15, 23, 29. The moderate, one-mile roundtrip hike departs from Kilauea Visitor Center over rough, uneven terrain with up to a 400-foot elevation change. Wear hiking shoes, long pants and a hat; bring rain gear, snacks and water. Gloves and loppers will be provided. Park fee applies. For info, email Paul and Jane Field at field@hawaii.edu, otherwise, meet at the Kilauea Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m. Groups should contact Kupono McDaniel at 808-985-6015. No registration required.
Jazz in the Forest
Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, Volcano Village
19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano | 808-967-8222
“An Evening of Piazzolla” features accomplished vocalist and educator Melanie Oldfather and world-traveled professional musician Jean Pierre Thoma, 5:30-7 p.m. July 9. Tickets. While there, enjoy the creative works of The ReForest Project by the fiber art hui, FuzzHawaii. Using handmade quilted panels made from repurposed and new materials, the hui transformed the outdoor Niaulani Sculpture Garden into trunks of ohia lehua trees.
‘Waterman’ Hana Hou!
Palace Theater
38 Haili St., Hilo | 808-934-7010
The Palace brings back the definitive documentary about Duke Kahanamoku in partnership with PBS to kick off the Palace Summer Surf Series, July 10-12. Directed by Isaac Halasima. Tickets.
Thursday Night at the Center
Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, Volcano Village
19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano | 808-967-8222
Tim Freeman, assistant professor of philosophy at UH-Hilo, gives a talk and audio/visual presentation on Nietzsche’s philosophy and the poetry of Albert Saijo, 6 p.m. July 14. The presentation is free, $5 donation is appreciated.
Kahuku Talk: He‘e Holua
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | 808-929-8075
Surfing the waves is one thing, but surfing on … what?! Learn about the death-defying sport of the ali‘i, specifically, he‘e holua, or Hawaiian lava sledding as a sport and the way in which the Native Hawaiian chiefs would honor their gods. The meeting location is in a section of the park an hour’s drive from Kilauea Visitor Center. Enter the Kahuku unit of HVNP on the uphill side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5 and meet at the visitor contact station, 9:30 a.m. July 15. Click for more events at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Disney’s ‘Moana Jr.’
Aloha Theatre
79-7384 Hawaii Belt Rd., Kealakekua | 808-322-9924
Enjoy this heartwarming coming-of-age story set in the Pacific that follows heroine Moana, July 15-31. By Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina. Tickets.
Artist Talk with Elyse Pignolet
Donkey Mill Art Center
78-6670 Mamalahoa Hwy., Holualoa | 808-322-3362
A Kipaipai, Hawaii Artist-in-Residence award winner, Elyse Pignolet shares the inspiration behind her works in ceramic at this free in-person event, 5:3-7 p.m. July 16. Feel free to bring a shared pupu and/or a beverage.
Community Bon Dance
Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
45-516 Lehua St., Honokaa | 808-775-7232
A favorite local tradition is the bon dance, a Japanese Buddhist custom that takes place each summer when it’s believed the spirits of the deceased return home. The community memorial service (hatsubon) takes place at 5:30 p.m. July 16 with the bon dance to follow at 7 p.m. in the parking lot accompanied by the Taishoji Taiko Drum Group.
Kokua Kailua
Historic Kailua Village
Along Alii Drive
Shop, dine and buy local as island vendors set up booths along Alii Drive, 1-6 p.m. July 17, making for a pleasant afternoon stroll. Find all sorts of handcrafted items and meet the maker behind the product.
Sounds at the Summit: Gone Country
Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, Volcano Village
19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano | 808-967-8222
Big Island dance band, Gone Country, performs a mix of classic country standards, western swing and country blues and rock, 5:30 p.m. July 17. Tickets.
Climate Conversations through Clay with Elyse Pignolet
Donkey Mill Art Center Ceramic Studio
78-6670 Mamalahoa Hwy., Holualoa | 808-322-3362
Participants ages 16 and up will explore and discuss the idea of climate conversations through art, specifically, designing individual tiles in a collaborative project, 5:30-8:30 p.m. July 20 and 27. Limited to 15 participants, $45/person. Register.
Through July 29: ‘After Life: A Wood Sculpture Exhibition’
East Hawaii Cultural Center
141 Kalakaua St., Hilo | 808-961-5711
Every part of a tree’s life is critical to ecosystems, wildlife, humans. This exhibit, curated by Andrzej Kramarz, offers a look at the “second life” of trees interpreted by sculptors. Artists include Henry Bianchini, Patrick Daniel Sarsfield, Daniel Sheinfeld Rodriguez, Randy Takaki and Lonny Tomono. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Through Aug. 7: Hawaii Nei Invitational: Species of Concern
Volcano Art Center Gallery
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. This multimedia exhibition features the works of six selected artists that reflect Hawaii’s fragile ecosystems, specifically, species of the greatest conservation need in the state. Gallery is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
Ongoing events:
Every Monday: Niaulani Rain Forest Tour
Volcano Art Center, Niaulani Campus
19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano | 808-967-8222
Immerse yourself in a native Hawaiian rainforest on a weekly guided tour, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Niaulani is one of Kilauea’s last old-growth koa and ohia rainforests. You’ll learn about its significance, continual threats, how native species are different from their colonizing ancestors, uses of Hawaiian flora and more. Tour takes place rain or shine, so dress appropriately. Reservations aren’t required but are appreciated for groups of five or more. Donations are appreciated. Custom tours are also available.
Place orders every Monday: East Hawaii Master Gardeners Plant Sale
Komohana Research & Extension Center
875 Komohana St., Hilo, HI 96720 | 808-969-8203
Populate your garden with native plants, succulents, perennials, seed starts and more. Plants are only available for pick up 10-11:30 a.m. every Friday at the Komohana Research & Extension Center in Hilo, and orders must be placed by 10 p.m. the previous Monday. All orders are to be placed via email only to himga@hawaii.edu; no drop-in sales are permitted. Cash only.
