Every Wednesday, one of our awesome HPR besties will keep you posted on happenings across our Islands that we're most stoked about. While each of us has a different perspective and set of interests, we all share a goal of helping you stay curious and connected across our Hawaiian Islands. Not yet subscribed? Subscribe today.
This week, we hear from Kyla Herrmann, HPR's On-Air Campaign & Community Events Producer, who is excited to celebrate all things LGBTQIA+ during Hawaiʻi's Pride Month.
HPR’s Social Club — it's your guide to unique, can't-miss events across the islands. Sign up for the HPR Social Club.
Have an event to share? You can submit it to our HPR Community Calendar for consideration. We might feature it in a future newsletter or on the air!
Happy Pride! In honor of the weekend ahead, I dug up something special for you: me at my 10th-grade Winter Ball. The year was 2007, the theme was 007, and I showed up in a rented tuxedo...with my crush. Let’s just say the evening earned mixed reviews from both classmates and administration alike.
Looking at this photo nearly 20 years later, I can’t help but think how much my 15-year-old self would have loved what’s happening this weekend: the Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center's YouthPride Honolulu: Rainbow Prom 2025! On Friday, October 10, from 6 - 9 p.m. at Capitol Modern, youth ages 14 - 20 are invited to a free celebration featuring a night of music, drag, food and community. Basically, it offers everything I dreamed of back then: a space where being exactly who you are is not just accepted but celebrated.
In a world where it still takes courage to be yourself, especially for queer and trans kids, it’s incredible to see an event like this not just exist, but thrive! Cheers to loving loudly, dancing freely, and honoring our younger selves who dreamed of nights like these.
While we’re in the spirit, I also recommend checking out the 4th Annual Arts of Pride Exhibit at The ARTS at Marks Garage, running October 3 - 31. The gallery is brimming with color, creativity, and community — it's a perfect pairing for Pride Month’s joy.
If you have an event you'd like to share with the HPR team, submit it to our community calendar. We might feature it in a future newsletter.
Until next week,
KYLA!
P.S. A cool first happened over the weekend! I met someone who participated in an event because of this newsletter! How cool is that? Fingers crossed it'll happen again. If you see me out, please say hello. :)
HPR Social Club Picks of the Week (Oct. 8 Edition):
EMPOWERED TOGETHER: Lahaina Women's Empowerment Event
Lahaina Women's Empowerment Event
Lahaina Recovery Center
325 Keawe Street, Suite B102 in Lahaina
Maui
Saturday, Oct. 11, 12:30 - 3:30 PM
RSVP required, contact organizer@tagnawa.org
To celebrate women's resilience and to kick off Filipino American History Month, Tagnawa invites women survivors of the Lahaina fire and wildfire recovery organizers to a free community empowerment event featuring self-defense training with MMA Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and a talk on Filipino women's history with Khara Jabola-Carolus.
AS EASY AS RIDING A BIKE: Hawai‘i Bicycling League's Adult Learn to Ride Workshop
Hawai‘i Bicycling League's Adult Learn to Ride Workshop
Ala Wai Community Park
2015 Kapi‘olani Blvd in Honolulu
O'ahu
Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
$10, space is limited — register now
Always wanted to ride a bike — or haven’t touched one in years? The Hawai‘i Bicycling League’s Adult Learn to Ride Workshop is a welcoming way to get back on the road. With a bike fit just for you and guidance from friendly instructors, you’ll go from balancing to gliding to riding in no time.
CELEBRATE COMMUNITY: Waihe‘e Festival 2025
Waihe‘e Festival 2025
KEY Project
47-200 Waiheʻe Road in Kāneʻohe
O'ahu
Saturday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Free and open to all
Join the Waihe‘e Festival for an evening full of ʻono-ness including delicious food, local vendors, fun educational booths and live entertainment on the windward side. The fest is open to all ages, so bring the whole ʻohana! Free activities include lei making, marble art, kāpala, and pickling.
MOSH MANIA: Big Island Metal Bash 2
Big Island Metal Bash 2
Hilo Town Market
69 Waianuenue Ave. in Hilo
Hawaiʻi Island
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11 & 12, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.
All ages welcome, $30 - $55 admission
Two nights. One pit. Big Island Metal Bash 2 hits Hilo Town Market with back-to-back sets from national headliners and local heavyweights. Grab your crew and get ready for a weekend of heavy-hitting live metal music!
CREATE CONVERSATIONS: Cultures & Coastlines: Centering Communities in Conservation and Research
Cultures & Coastlines: Centering Communities in Conservation and Research
Maui Ocean Center
192 Maalaea Road in Wailuku
Maui
Sunday, Oct. 12 · 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Free with registration
This month’s Cultures & Coastlines Speaker Series welcomes the Ocean Conservancy's presentation of “Centering Communities in Conservation and Research.” Learn how Indigenous knowledge, community leadership and equitable partnerships shape ocean protection while supporting the well-being of coastal communities like Maui.
