Community Calendar

Par Hawaii is celebrating 20 years of Fueling Dreams for local athletes. From April 14 to May 26, 2025, island drivers can go the extra mile by making a donation at check out at any participating Hele station including 20 on Oahu, eight on Hawaii Island, and five on Maui. Every dollar pumped into this campaign helps athletes with intellectual disabilities train and compete free of charge.

Par Hawaii, marketer of Hele and 76 Hawaii, has been a strong supporter of Special Olympics Hawaii for more than three decades. To date, the Fueling Dreams campaign has raised more than $1,057,120 for Special Olympics Hawaii athletes and programs.

Mid-Pacific Institute Virtual PE Course, PE Lifetime Fitness

Mandatory orientation will be held on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 (time to be announced).
Synchronous sessions on the following dates: 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 4/21, 5/5, and 5/19, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Registration is open now for the January – May 2025 session. Registration closes on Monday, December 30, 2024. Find the complete schedule and register at https://www.midpac.edu/the-center/globalx-virtual.

Open Enrollment for students entering grades 5-12 to participate in a summer youth Opera training program. Presented by the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus and the Hawaii Opera Theater Education Department. Debut of a NEW commissioned opera based on an original story, about Mo'o (Dragons) who live on Maui and assume human form with super powers. This intensive opera / theater training program will provide students to build their skills as performers in the singing, performing and dramatic arts. All roles performed by student participants. Daily instruction in the afternoons. Culminating in performances on Oahu and Maui. Students will receive training in drama, dance, auditioning, solo and group singing. They will help to make some of their props, costumes and stage decor. NO previous experience necessary or to enroll. However, past performing arts experience is a PLUS as this is a very intense and fast paced program. Students MUST be able to fully commit to the program with all rehearsals and performances. Program activities are Monday through Friday in the Month of June in the afternoons for 4 hours daily. Performances will take place over the last weekend of June. Students must be able to travel to Maui independant of their parents. Original story by a native Hawaiian author and composed by an Iolani grad. Please visit our website for more information and to complete enrollment form.

The Wailoa Art Center in Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, is proud to present "Hala," a
groundbreaking exhibition celebrating the cultural significance and
ecological importance of the hala plant (Pandanus tectorius) in Hawai’i.
The exhibition will run from May 10 through June 19, 2025, with an opening reception on
May 9 from 5-7pm with a performance by Hālau Hula Kauluola. This collaborative project
brings together contemporary artists, cultural practitioners, natural resource managers, and
scientists to envision hopeful futures embracing both ecological and cultural resilience.
Featured artists and practitioners include Marques Marzan, Sean Connelly, Yola Monakhov
Stockton, Carl F K Pao, Corinne Okada Takara, Duncan Ka‘oho Seto, Gloria-Ann Pualani
Muraki, Dee Shimabukuro, Debbie Toko, Mei Lin Wong-Gary, Lise Michelle Childers, Kū
Kahakalau, Justin Kellum, Mia Akau-LaClair and Kelly Teamey.
Curated by Kanani Daley, Mary Babcock and Udi Mandel, "Hala" is the result of a 14-month
collaborative project supported by USGS, PI-CASC, the Hawaii Council for the Humanities,
the Craft Research Center and other local organizations. The exhibition invites the public to
experience hala through multiple perspectives, honoring both tradition and innovation.
Weaving Together Multiple Perspectives
"Hala" embraces the Hawaiian concept of makawalu—understanding phenomena from
multiple perspectives—by weaving together diverse disciplines including botany, geography,
anthropology, and indigenous knowledge. The exhibition centers on the hala plant, which
has been integral to traditional Hawaiian material culture and cosmology for generations.
"This exhibition represents a creative encounter between different worldviews, opening
doors to other ways of relating to and understanding hala," explains co-curator Kanani Daley,
a Native Hawaiian designer, artist, and curator. "Throughout our 14-month collaborative
process, we constantly asked ourselves: 'What does hala want?'".
During the exhibit, Wailoa Center will be open every Saturday, 10am - 3pm. There will be free
guided gallery walks with exhibition participants on May 17th, 24th and 31st, from 10am -
12pm and a lauhala bracelet weaving workshop on Saturday, May 31 from 1-2pm. To register
for the workshop, call Wailoa Center at (808) 933-0416. The lauhala weaving club, ʻAha
Pūhala o Puna, will also be holding their regular meetings on May 10th and June 14th, from
10am - 2pm for those that want to observe the process of lauhala weaving.
Wailoa Center is a Division of State Parks, Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is
free and open to the public during the exhibit, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00
pm and on Saturdays from 10:00am – 3:00pm.

The Hawaii Kai Library Bookstore will be having a 50% off sale of all Hobbies, Crafts and Travel books for the month of May. Be sure to stop by as the Bookstore has books of all genres as well as DVDs, CDs, Audio Books,
LPs, a Children's and Teens section, Anime, Comics, Puzzles, Games, Sheet Music and more all at great prices.
Please Note that the Bookstore will be closed on Saturday through Monday May 24 to May 26 in
observance of Memorial Day.

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

Free exhibit of pastel paintings done by local artists and juried by Eminenent Pastelist Lyn Diefenbach of Australia. Come see for yourself the beauty and versatility of pastels in this exhibit. All works must be at least 80% soft pastel. We'll have aperiodic demonstrations throughout and you can help vote for the People's Choice awards at the reception Friday, May 16 from 5 to 8pm.

The Waimea Arts Council presents “A Triad of Expression,” an exciting exhibition featuring the works of three Hawaii Island artists: oil painter Seth Engstrom, wildlife artist Laurel Oglesby, and mixed-media artist Lorie Taylor. The show runs from May 1 to June 1 at the Firehouse Gallery in Kamuela.

Seth Engstrom, a film industry artist since 1997, has a background in architecture, illustration, and fine art. Three years ago, he moved to Kamuela and began showcasing his plein-air oil paintings at the Firehouse Gallery. His work captures shorelines and landscapes. View his art at sethpleinair.blogspot.com.

Laurel Oglesby is a wildlife artist working in watercolor, pastel, and charcoal. She studied art at the University of North Texas and had a diverse career before moving to Kailua-Kona in 2013. Returning to sketching in 2015, she expanded into color and new techniques. By 2019, she pursued art full-time, focusing on birds, flowers, and animals. Her Birds of the Big Island series began in 2021. Laurel’s art can be previewed at oglesbyart.com.

In 2017, after a 30-year career in law enforcement, Lorie Taylor made the Big Island her home, finding renewed inspiration in its beauty. Using mixed media, she creates vibrant, textured works that reflect the island’s spirit. Her work can be previewed at www.lorietaylor.com.

The Firehouse Gallery, a program of the Waimea Arts Council, is located at the main intersection of Highways 19 and 190 in Kamuela. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 AM to 3 PM.

Live music & sunset vibes! Join us every Tuesday from 6-9 PM for the incredible Cajun Peaches—a band that brings the energy you didn’t know you needed. Their electric style pairs perfectly with Hula’s iconic sunset views from the 2nd floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel. Adults 21+ welcome.

Mii Li and Friends present TRANSCEND: A BODY POSSITIVITY ART SHOW - showcasing a safe space of visibility, celebration and radical self-love.

Featuring artists Avery Holshouser, Taylor Kapono Cullen, Magdelenian Honeymoon, Leo Minor, Crystal Rosa and Nicholas Pai; with a performance by Nico Awesimonian.

Tuesday
May 13
6:30 to 9pm
21+
$10 donation to artists at door

Proof Social Club
1154 Fort Street Mall #10
Honolulu, HI 96813