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 Kyla Herrmann, HPR's On-Air Campaign & Community Events Producer.
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 Social Clubbers!
It's been a while. I have been deep in campaign land! Shout-out to all the kind folks who stopped by and said hello at our booth at last week's Moth Mainstage at The Hawaiʻi Theatre!
If you were around last year, you already know: October is my favorite month. It's spooky season and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Honolulu. If you ask me, it's the perfect collision of my interests. So obviously, this weekend brings a menagerie of activities that I wholeheartedly thumbs up.
First up: Friday, Oct. 9, the Hawaiʻi Horror Ball is back after a hiatus, and the dance floor is ready to get delightfully dark. Presented by Dies in the Light, this fifth edition, “Beast Be With You,” celebrates the monsters, creatures and iconic chills of horror cinema. Spook isn't a spectator sport, participate in the eerie atmosphere! Applaud the Horror Costume Contest! Dive in and have a ball.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, stay true to your classic public radio lovers' activities, which may include a book exchange and a tasty drink! Try out the Books, Brews, & Beats Festival at Fort Street Mall from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Browse and support local crafters offering everything from coffee, tea and pastries to books, jewelry, ceramics and more. Donʻt forget to bring a book to trade!
Depending on your work schedule, let's say we are wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 11, with a Queer & Trans Crafternoon at Plantoem's café in Kaimukī, from 5 to 9 p.m. If you haven't stopped in before, you'll be joined by lush plants, this time with local queer and trans vendors, a live DJ set from nonbinary, queer DJ LA FEMME PAPI and be inspired to make things together. Bring a project from home or use the provided supplies; you can also sign up for Nix's “Stamp a Plant” workshop to carve a botanical design and print it onto a bag.
TL;DR: A spooky dance party, a book date waiting for you, plus a Pride crafternoon surrounded by plants? Don't even try to argue with me, October is the best.
Got something fun happening in your corner that you want us to know about? Submit it to our community calendar!
Stay haunted!
Kyla
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.
KAUAʻI: MĀLAMA KKCR
A Tribute to the King of Pop: A Benefit Concert for KKCR
KCC Performing Arts Center
3-1901 Kaumualiʻi Hwy in Līhuʻe
Friday, October 9, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Experience an unforgettable evening celebrating the timeless music of Michael Jackson! From iconic classics to fan favorites, this tribute promises electrifying performances by a 10-piece live band and 10 vocalists that will have audiences singing and dancing all night long. Proceeds from the concert benefit listener-supported KKCR (read and listen to HPR's recent story on KKCR here), making this an evening of outstanding entertainment for a meaningful cause. $30 tickets, available online
MAUI: HISPANIC HERITAGE
Tanama Colibri and Dr Nat Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
ProArts Theater
1280 South Kihei Rd. in Kihei
Friday, October 9, 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy a night of Latin beats and dancing — yes, there will be a dance floor! — in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! Featuring special guests Julia & Rizca of I Love Maui Bachata! Special low pricing made possible through the Pono Project. $11 to 26.50 tickets, available online
OʻAHU: MOVING MELE
Mele Tūtū: Songs of Our Grandparents
Hawaiian Mission Houses
553 S. King St. in Honolulu
Saturday, October 10, 6:30 p.m.
Head to the next installment of Hawaiian Mission Houses acclaimed Mele Program. Mele Tūtū means to invite guests to look closely at the memories and songs of our grandparents' or great-grandparents' generation from the 1930s/1940s. Expressed through mele (song), oli (chant) and hula (dance), Mele Tūtū embodies the enduring principle of Mālama Kūpuna: caring for our elders and those whose shoulders we all stand upon in our present-day lives. $50 tickets available online
OʻAHU: TIMELESS TRADITIONS
Resonance: From Tradition to Tomorrow
Capitol Modern: The Hawaiʻi State Art Museum
250 S. Hotel St. in Honolulu
Saturday, October 10, 2 to 4 p.m.
Experience an afternoon of sound, tradition and experimentation featuring Filipino American electronic artist Luzi Kidlat and award-winning composer and instrumentalist Paul Cosme, culminating in a special closing performance by Hawaiʻi Rondalla. Together, these performances create a dynamic sound experience connecting cultural memory, contemporary technology and evolving Filipino musical traditions — from ancestral practices to new sonic futures. Free; register to attend here
HAWAIʻI ISLAND: FALL INTO FUN
Seventh Annual Waimea Fall Festival
Spencer Kalani Schutte Waimea District Park
67-1315 Ala Ohia Rd in Waimea
Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate fall with a full day of family fun at the Waimea Fall Festival, held rain or shine. Hosted by Waimea Athletics, the family-friendly festival will feature live entertainment, a pumpkin patch, indoor and outdoor keiki games and activities, local food and craft vendors, community information booths, exhibits, military and emergency-response displays and much more. Guests are encouraged to bring sunscreen, beach chairs and jackets. Free to attend
Live from the Atherton — Celebrate 808
From familiar favorites to new discoveries, Celebrate 808 brings artists across genres into the Atherton Performing Arts Studio for intimate live performances that showcase the diversity, creativity and community of music being made across the islands.
Come discover a new favorite, celebrate the artists you love and experience the sound of the 808 — Live from the Atherton.
- November 7 @ 6 p.m.: Honeyfingers
A longtime fixture of New York’s music scene, Jonny has built a career around his extraordinary touch, tone, and deep devotion to the music. His band Honeyfingers was a New York fixture, earning a New York Times description that says it all: “Pristine honky tonk.” Now based in Hawaiʻi, Jonny brings Honeyfingers to the Atherton for an entire set dedicated to the steel guitar — kicking off a month of eclectic sounds, artists, and community with Celebrate 808. GET TICKETS
- November 14 @ 6 p.m.: Maryanne Ito
From Soul and R&B to Jazz, Hip-Hop and Reggae, Maryanne Ito brings a uniquely Hawaiʻi-rooted sound to the Atherton. The Honolulu-raised singer has spent her career pushing across genres, pairing a rich, textured voice with music that explores love, life and the everyday experiences that connect us all. GET TICKETS
- November 21 @ 6 p.m.: Skullboy + Completely Insane
We’re closing out Celebrate 808 with a night of fast, fun, unapologetically punk rock music featuring two local bands from Hawaiʻi’s punk and ska scene. Local party-punk favorites Skullboy take the stage as our headlining act, bringing their high-energy mix of punk, ska and alternative sounds to Atherton. Joining them for the other half of the evening are Completely Insane, local legends of the genre and longtime contributors to Hawaiʻi’s punk scene at this standing-room event. GET TICKETS
Live from the Atherton is sponsored by HMSA.
Watch past Live from the Atherton performances here.
Listen on demand to past events here.
Heard on The Conversation: Harmony rings out in Hawaiʻi for a Pan Pacific barbershop convention
During the second week of October, Hawaiʻi will be playing host to an international gathering of barbershop quartets.
Members of chapters from Australia, New Zealand and Japan will be in Honolulu for the Pan Pacific Harmony Convention from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10.
The convention will be place at Hilton Hawaiian Village, and it will also include free concerts for the public to enjoy. One takes place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center on Oct. 10, and there will be a special gathering at Kawaiahaʻo Church in memory of the Sounds of Aloha Chorus.HPR's Catherine Cruz has more. Listen on demand
