Community Calendar

The Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA) will be “Sharing Uchinanchu Aloha” at its 43rd Okinawan Festival, set for Labor Day weekend - Saturday and Sunday, August 30 & 31, 2025 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.

The Okinawan Festival promises to be a weekend full of delicious food, great entertainment and lots of fun for people of all ages!

The Okinawan Festival started in 1982 at the McCoy Pavilion at the Ala Moana Park and later moved to the Thomas Square in 1985. For 28 years, the festival was held at Kapiolani Park, but due to weather and manpower concerns, the HUOA researched alternative locations and the decision was made to move the festival to the Hawaii Convention Center in 2018. This move was well received, and the new indoor festival proved to be a success with approximately 40,000 in attendance over the two days.
The HUOA was established in 1951 and is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit umbrella organization for 50 member clubs located on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Kauai.

All Literature and Fiction books will be on sale at 50% off for the month of August. If you haven't finished your summer reading then stop by as the shelves are always being restocked and Pop-up sales are frequent.

The Bookstore also has DVDs, CDs, audio books, records, anime, comics, games, puzzles and so much more at great prices. Please note that Statehood day will be Friday August 15th and all libraries will be closed.

August 9 - September 4, 2025

Join us on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, 6-8pm for the Opening Reception. Meet & greet and photo viewing. Michael Caputo's photographs from work as a firefighter, developed & printed at the Hawaii Darkroom in Hilo.

@aloha_bigmike

Lahaina Arts Society's fine art fairs showcasing award winning juried Maui resident artists creating paintings, ceramics, photography, glass art, woodwork, feather art, jewelry and more for over 50 years. Meet and talk story.

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 10:30 am - starting on January 3rd, 2025. Reservations are recommended. Call (808) 768-7135.

Here are some additional details:

Public Tours of Foster Botanical Garden resume in January 2025!

Volunteer docents will conduct tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., rain or shine.

Docents just completed a six-week training and are eager to engage the public meaningfully.

On these tours, docents will provide an overview and some details of some of the gardenʻs seven sections. No two tours are the same—different docents bring different background knowledge and life experiences. All are passionate about plants.

Please call (808) 768-7135 to reserve your spot.

Tours are limited to about 20 people and are included in the price of admission ($5 for visitors, $3 for residents, $1 for children).

For school or other organized groups, please call the number above to discuss differentiated tour options.

Foster Botanical Garden has a rich history and a world-renowned collection. Here are some quick facts:
-14 acre historic garden opened to the public in 1930
- Dedicated to the “people of Hawai’i” by Mary Elizabeth Mikahala Robinson Foster
- Portions once owned by Queen Kalama
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Oldest of the five gardens and the headquarters of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens
- Home to 21 “Exceptional Trees” protected by City Ordinance

“Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” is a world-traveling exhibition produced by the prestigious Tokyo-based Japan Foundation. The exhibit presents Japan’s fascinating yokai culture through Japanese scrolls, woodblock prints, toys and films curated by Koichi Yumoto, regarded as one of Japan’s foremost experts on the subject. “Yokai Parade” traces the transformation of these supernatural beings from fearsome monsters to less scary – even charming – figures through contemporary media arts.

This exhibit is a collaboration between the renowned Japan Foundation, the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, and the Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo.

A fascination with yokai traveled from Japan to Hawaii along with the thousands of Japanese immigrants who traversed the Pacific Ocean to work as laborers on Hawaii’s sugarcane plantations in the 1800s to the early 1900s. Taking on a form and identity of their own in Hawaii, yokai are better known in the islands as “obake.”

The importance of legends, myths, ghosts, and the supernatural in general was shared by the many ethnic groups in Hawaii, from the indigenous Hawaiians to Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Puerto Rican, Filipino and other immigrants who settled in the islands.

“Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” will run from August 2 to August 30 at the Hawaii Japanese Center, 751 Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo. Public viewing hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, email info@hawaiijapanesecenter.com or call (808) 934-9611.

Gather your ohana and create unforgettable memories at the Ohana Gift Fair, happening indoors at Windward Mall! Discover a vibrant collection of handcrafted jewelry, chic apparel, trendy totes, unique stationery, delicious local snacks, one-of-a-kind charms, and so much more. Whether you're shopping for yourself or finding the perfect gift, there's something for everyone to enjoy!

Giveaways all day. Free Admission to shoppers. Lots of Parking.

Event Contact
Phone: (808)-688-6638
info@islandcraftfairs.org​​​

VENDORS:
Currently accepting applications for all types of small retail businesses including prepackaged snacks, serving and produce booths.
Application deadline is the day before the event at 4pm Hawaii Standard Time.

The Hulagans are having their next game on 8/30/25 and we’d love to see you there! We’ve got the Alter Egos coming in from Oregon for a full afternoon of hard hitting roller derby with the Garden Island Renegade Rollerz from Kaua'i! Plus, we’ll be in a new location! Come check us out in Palolo this time around for a covered venue with the same free parking, free entry, but no furry friends this time around. We’ll have the live stream on Twitch for anyone who can’t make it in person, just find us @pacificrollerderby! See you at the end of the month for a great game!

Every last Saturday in June, July and August of 2025, join our emcee Kimo Kahoʻāno on Waimea Valley's Main Lawn for an afternoon of Hawaiian mele and hula.

Savor an unforgettable evening at Alaia with a curated prix fixe dinner inspired by the Candlelight Concert.