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 to see what's on around town, and to learn about our Social Club contributors.
This week, we hear from HPR Digital Content Producer Sylvia Flores.
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!
Aloha Social Club Readers,
April is jam-packed with all kine things. Earth Day is around the corner. It's National Poetry Month. We've seen April Fools' Day, Easter, National Siblings Day and more fly by. It's Volunteer Month Hawaiʻi. It's also Financial Literacy Month, and today is everyone's favorite, Tax Day! Today is a great day to make a tax-deductible donation to support HPR, especially since we're in the midst of our Spring Membership Campaign.
It all feels a little overwhelming, so I invite you to take a beat, take a breath, and slow down to find some solace in your space. Maybe you're in the midst of spring cleaning or fixing up after the recent storms. Why not add a soulful soundtrack to help you tackle your task list? This week's After Hours: Electronic Soul with Nara Nellis has a great episode that will get you grooving. Nara brings on special guest DJ Timo Lee to share soulful house and their favorite latest tracks. Listen on demand — it's available until Nara's next Monday show.
Prefer to head out and see something live and direct? On April 20, celebrate the first anniversary of The Studio 909 Jam Session, facilitated by multi-instrumentalist Abe Lagrimas, Jr. This monthly jam session welcomes musicians of all levels, including students, to jam together, hang and network. Drop in from 6 to 9 p.m. at Studio 909 inside the Musicians Association of Hawaiʻi at 949 Kapiolani Blvd (pictured, above). It's free for students to attend, with a $10 suggested donation otherwise.
Speaking of jazz, and in continuation of Jazz Appreciation Month, head to The Green Lady (to get there, ask for "Room 8" at the White Sands Hotel in Waikīkī) to wind down to the sounds of Tropical Jazz from 8 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday. Enjoy a low-key evening sipping craft cocktails and non-ABV concoctions while you listen to exotica-inspired tunes with a rotating duo of local jazz musicians and special guests. You can follow @hi.chamberjazz on Instagram to learn more.
One last event I'd like to share speaks near and dear to my heart. I grew up playing the clarinet and am a big fan of wind ensembles. You can support Honolulu's very own community wind ensemble at a Joint Music Concert on April 18 at McKinley High School Auditorium. The Oahu Civic Orchestra and the Honolulu Wind Ensemble provide a free afternoon of music starting at 5 p.m.
Keep scrolling to see a few more hand-picked events taking place across Hawaiʻi. If you have an upcoming event you'd like to share, submit it to our community calendar.
Thanks for supporting all things live and local,
Sylvia
P.S. Our islands are still recovering from the effects of the recent Kona Storms. Able to support those in need? Here's a list of local relief efforts
HPR Social Club's Picks of the Week:
Please note: Event details may change. Check organizer or event websites for the most up-to-date information.
OʻAHU: CULTURE THROUGH CANVAS - Art at the Capitol
Art at the Capitol
Hawaiʻi State Capitol
415 S. Beretania St. in Honolulu
Friday, April 17, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Head to our Hawaiʻi State Capitol to celebrate "Urban Canvases: Culture in Motion — A Hawaiian Renaissance Through Streetwear & Hip-Hop." Enjoy vibrant programming by Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony, Ballet Hawaiʻi and FAM-ily Hip Hop Dance Company, and poetry by our 2026 State Poet Laureate, Lee Tonouchi. Guests are invited to explore the Capitol to view art exhibits, screenings from ʻOhina Films, and interactive art activations. Free and open to all
OʻAHU: CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS - On Art, Poetry, and Climate Activism
On Art, Poetry, and Climate Activism
Native Books at Arts and Letters
1164 Nuʻuanu Ave. in Honolulu
Friday, April 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Head to Chinatown on Friday to sit in on a conversation with Marshall Islander poet, climate activist, and the Spring 2026 Inouye Distinguished Chair, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, in conversation with Joy Enomoto and Lyz Soto. The evening shares powerful, Pacific-centered perspectives that connect lived experiences to global climate conversations. Listen to Jetnil-Kijiner's recent interview on The Conversation. Free and open to all
HAWAIʻI ISLAND: ART APPRECIATION - Big Island Art Fair
Big Island Art Fair
Kahilu Town Hall
Adjacent to Parker Ranch Center in Waimea
April 23 & 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Big Island Art Fair returns, offering the community a chance to support local artists and participate in live demonstrations, including seed bead weaving and gourd burning. Local artists are invited to interpret the "Signs of Spring" through their artwork for the weekend's art contest, where visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorites. Free and open to all
HAWAIʻI ISLAND: MOVIE MUSIC - The Music of John Williams
The Music of John Williams
The Kona Elk's Lodge
75-170 Hualalai Rd. in Kailua-Kona
Sunday, April 19, 2:30 p.m.
The Chamber Orchestra of Kona returns to the Kona Elks Theater for a celebration of the greatest movie composer of all time. Featuring guest conductor Jason Sherbundy and award-winning violinist Duane Padilla, enjoy iconic scores from John Williams, including selections from Star Wars, E.T., Superman, JFK, Schindler's List and more. Free and open to all
MAUI: HEART-FILLED HOME - Maui Choral Arts Spring Concert
Maui Choral Arts Spring Concert
St. Anthony Catholic Church
1618 Lower Main St. in Wailuku
Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m.
Explore Maui Choral Arts Association's concept of "home" as a place, an emotional anchor, and a source of identity. "At Home - Ma Kauhale" includes the Hawai'i premiere of Tim Takach's five-moment "At Home" for choir, flute and clarinet. Several arrangements in 'ōlelo Hawaiʻi will also be shared. $2 (youth) to $35, tickets available online
KAUAʻI: ON-STAGE MAYHEM - The Play That Goes Wrong
The Play That Goes Wrong
KCC Performing Arts Center
3-1901 Kaumualiʻi Hwy in Līhuʻe
April 16 to 26
Thursday - Saturday, 7 p.m. & Sunday, 4 p.m.
The Kauai Community Players present an evening of murder, mystery and mayhem in the international smash-hit comedy, "The Play That Goes Wrong." Paced with brilliant physical comedy and perfectly timed mayhem, it's a theatrical disaster that will leave you howling with laughter. $25 - $30, tickets available online
On air: Megan Conley, Live from the Atherton
Tune in to Sunday's "HPR Hōʻike" to hear last season's Classical Music Series featuring harpist Megan Conley. Her performance showcases the beauty and magic of the harp through music ranging from Queen Liliʻuokalani and Leilehua Lanzilotti to Claude Debussy and Brandee Younger.
Don't have a radio? Watch and listen to the performance here.
April 19 at 1 p.m. on HPR-1
ICYMI: Local musician and artist puts an innovative spin on kanikapila
Benjamin Fairfield (pictured above, with The Conversation's Maddie Bender) has made it his mission to give a voice to empty cans, boba straws, and discarded shingles — he turns trash into musical instruments. These custom-built instruments are on view in Honolulu at UH Mānoa's Hamilton Library through mid-August. Fairfield is a lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the author of a new book: “Kani Ka ʻŌpala: How Can Garbage Sing?” Fairfield spoke with The Conversation about his unconventional path and creating instruments out of what others might consider trash. Listen to the interview
