Community Calendar

AN EVENING OF POETRY

CARLOS ANDRES GOMEZ
w/ KEALOHA
And some of the best Slam poets of Honolulu

SUNDAY, NOV. 9TH
SLACK KEY LOUNGE
Hawaiian Brian’s

This is a unique chance to hear a national Slam Poetry legend. This will be an unforgettable night!

Carlos Andres Gomez is an award-winning Columbian American poet and author. He gained prominence in the national Slam scene as a member of the renowned Nuyorican Poets Café’s slam team. Carlos has been a speaker and performer at more than 1,500 colleges, universities, independent schools, and companies around the U.S. and the world. He has been featured on NPR, PBS, TEDx, Upworthy, Central Park SummerStage, Lincoln Center, and starred in HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and the Spike Lee’s Inside Man with Denzel Washington.

Kealoha is the founder of the First Thursdays Poetry Slam, which from 2003-2020 was one of the largest poetry slams in the nation. In 2012, he was appointed by the governor to be the first Poet Laureate of Hawai'i. His epic poem The Story of Everything, which combines poetry, dance, music, and visual storytelling, was adapted into a feature length film.

As if that wasn’t enough, the night will also include performances from some of the best slam poets of Honolulu.

Hosted by Liam Skilling. Musical accompaniment by DJ Kaleo Ten.
Tickets: $25; $10 at the door with student ID.

Our 2025 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) stems from Hui Mo‘olelo, a program that cultivates site-specific stories through community workshops rooted in Maui County. Selected artists will interpret one of these stories as a work of visual, performance, or experiential public art developed in collaboration with community members. The goal of these public art projects is to promote the unique history, culture and community of distinct sites throughout the County of Maui.

Please review each project description below carefully and base your proposal on one of the provided story excerpts. (Click https://vimeo.com/939718380 to view a 5-minute film summarizing this work.) We will accept submissions from a variety of disciplines, but are particularly interested in funding the following categories:
- New Media Projects (light, projection, or digital installations)
- Fine Art Performances (pop-up performances, street performances, or happenings)
- Interactive or Participatory Projects (works that invite audience or community engagement)
- Mural or Surface-Based Projects ( large-scale wall, column, or railing installations)
- Experiential or Environmental Art Installations (landscape-scale or site-integrated works)

Artist applications will be reviewed by a community panel. Selected artists will then enter a collaborative development phase, working closely with community members, Maui Public Art Corps, and partners to refine their initial ideas into a site-specific, participatory artwork. This process includes identifying a proverb from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ʻŌlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings to ground each work in historical and cultural context.

Application requirements: ​Applications will only be received via CaFÉ and will not be accepted after the marked deadline. Entry Deadline: 11/30/25 at 11:59 p.m. MST

Apply HERE https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=16305

When: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 10:30 am
Walk-ins accepted as capacity allowed
Reservations: Recommended – Call (808) 768-7135
Cost: Free with garden admission

About the Garden:

Step away from the city and enjoy a refreshing visit to Foster Botanical Garden, the oldest of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens. This 14-acre oasis features a world-class collection of tropical plants, including some magnificent trees planted in the 1850s by Dr. William Hillebrand. These trees mark the beginning of what would become the Honolulu Botanical Gardens.

What to Expect:

Tours are led by dedicated volunteer guides who have completed a six-week training program. They bring the garden to life with in-depth stories, history, culture, and fascinating insights into its plants and animals.

Organized Group Tours:

For schools and organized groups, please call (808) 768-7135 to discuss possibilities.

Garden Highlights:
Upper Terrace
Palm Garden
Economic Garden (with herbs, spices, and other plants with commercial value)
Prehistoric Glen Cycad Collection
21 Exceptional Trees (as designated by Hawaii’s Exceptional Tree Program)
The Conservatory (with orchids, pitcher plants, and more)
Outdoor Butterfly Garden
and an affiliated Gift Shop

Hawaii Watercolor Society’s Little Picture Show, ARTINI: - See It, Buy It, Keep It, Gift It. Just Don’t Miss It!
Just in time for the holidays, 120+ small pictures, ready to hang, gift and holiday cards, handmade holiday decorations, prints, and even small illustrated books. There’s something “arty” for everyone’s stocking.

The Downtown Art Center will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, November 27, 28th.

Hands On Cold-Process Soap Making Class
Learning about tools, equipment, safely combining ingredients,
how to develop formulations, step by step process, along with some
history of soap making.

Garimo's class may likely be the only hand-on class in Hawaii.
Class limited to six participants.

This exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the diverse regions of the Philippines featuring centerpieces of Filipino attire, from the southern Muslim and Indigenous communities in Mindanao, to the Indigenous communities in the northern Luzon region, to the predominantly Roman Catholic central Visayan Islands, to the national dress associated with Manila.

Honoring the deep connection between Hawai'i and the Philippines, a display of historical photographs shares the story of the Sakada, the first 15 Filipinos who immigrated to Hilo, Hawai'i, as labor workers in 1906.

Welcome to The Green Exchange!

Students at Hawaii Pacific University are hosting an non-profit event in the Sunset Ballroom at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Come and enjoy live music by Braddahoodz, local vendors - jewelry, foods, skincare, swimwear and the clothing swap booth. Bring the clothes you don't use anymore and swap them with other pieces. Every attendee automatically get a raffle, as well as purchasing from the vendors. Raffle prices will be announces through the night.

Our Monday Night Poetry group, led by published poet Gwyn Görg, meets the second Monday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Laupāhoehoe Library. If you’d like, bring a poem you’ve written or one you love to share and discuss in a friendly, relaxed setting. It’s a great way to connect and get inspired!

Join us for open mic with host GJ available to back you up on guitar. We also have an 88 key weighted Roland piano for your performance needs. From 7-10PM on the 2nd Floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel. Adults 21+ welcome!

Hunter Down hosts the funniest, queerest pub trivia night -- THE BAR EXAM -- at Proof Social Club. Drink specials and prizes for winners. Presented by DJ Jet Boy.

Mondays
8pm
21+
No Cover

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