Shows & events
West Hawaii County Band performs
The West Hawaii County Band, under the direction Bernaldo Evangelista, performs this evening in Kailua Village.
The free “Merry May” concert gets underway at 6:30 p.m. at Hale Halawai. Music is selected from the band’s extensive repertoire including marches, classical band music, jazz tunes, music from the movies and traditional Hawaiian tunes.
The West Hawaii County Band is a community and civic band comprised of approximately 20 musicians from all walks of life. It rehearses weekly and performs regular free monthly concerts at Hale Halawai.
Info: www.westhawaiiband.com.
Tribal Seeds performs tonight in Kona
Tribal Seeds performs this evening at KBXtreme in Kailua-Kona.
The 8 p.m. performance is part of a three-island tour by the San Diego-based roots reggae band. Mike Love will also perform.
Tickets to the all ages show are $28 and are available at KBXtreme and Irie Hawaii Kona.
Info: www.tmrevents.net/tribal-seeds.
Womack shares classical guitar at library
Cheyene Womack performs Saturday at Kailua-Kona Public Library.
Womack’s 2 to 3 p.m. classical guitar performance will feature works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, as well as original works by Womack.
Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona, this program is free to the public.
Info: 327-4327.
Western Week hits Honokaa
Western Week rides into Honokaa Town Sunday and continues through May 29 to celebrate the paniolo heritage of Hamakua.
Festivities kick off with the second annual Farm Festival at Hamakua Harvest from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Western Week also features a Portuguese Bean Soup cook-off to Stick Horse championships, western movies and more, leading up to the Paniolo Parade and Block Party on Mamane Street next Friday evening, followed by the 61st annual Hawaii Saddle Club Scholarship Rodeo.
Talent is also sought for the Saloon Girl and Cowboys Got Talent Contests. Men and women are invited to dress up and strut their stuff in a talent and personality competition on the street-side stage. There are no entry fees, winners receive cash prizes. Entry deadline is today. For information and applications, call Michelle Hartman, 775-9777.
Honokaa Western Week is a volunteer-driven project supported by the Honokaa Business Association, The Hamakua Farm Bureau and the Hamakua Lion’s Club, and others.
Info: www.honokaawesternweek.org.
Lauhala Conference kicks off Tuesday
The 22nd annual Lauhala Conference kicks off Tuesday and continues through May 27 at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Na Kumu will share their knowledge and skills of the ancient art of lauhala weaving.
The event will celebrate the legacy of Aunty Elizabeth Maluihi Lee, founder of Ka Ulu Lauhala o Kona and a Living Treasure along with Na Kumu Lauhala o Hawaii nei.
Tuesday through May 27 will feature numerous workshops. A silent auction will run May 27 with bidding from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 5:30 to 7 p.m. when the festival closes with a farewell dinner. Funds raised help support the conference, cover travel costs for kumu and fund scholarships.
A hoolaulea, or craft fair, is slated Thursday through May 27.
The event is organized by Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by Lee. Its mission statement is to “perpetuate, preserve and ensure the growth of the traditional art of lauhala weaving.”
Info: www.facebook.com/KULOKconference/
Colin John performs at VFW
Colin John peforms Wednesday at VFW Post 12122’s FUN Fundraiser in Kailua-Kona.
John will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. at the post, located at 74-5543 Kaiwi St. A $10 donation is requested.
Rushad Eggleston coming to The Edible
The Edible World Institute presents an evening with “cello goblin” Rushad Eggleston on May 27.
A cello bandit of wild imaginations, Eggleston defies descriptive words like “wild.” He is an innovative musician who has changed the way the cello is played. Classically trained with brilliant technique, Eggleston has a touch on the cello that is lively and percussive, integrating various kinds of chops open to improvisation and spontaneous musical digressions.
Cost is $15 at the door. Show starts at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6.
The event is part of Edible World Institute’s “Way with Artist Eats, Shows & Tells,” an opportunity to enjoy a burst of creative collaboration with local and visiting artists, and Edible World Institute.
Info: www.edibleworldinstitute.org.
Announcements
Kaha Ki’i art competition winners named
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard recently announced the winners of the 2017 Kaha Ki‘i Second Congressional District Art Competition during an awards ceremony on Oahu.
The pieces of art will be showcased at the U.S. Capitol, in Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Washington, D.C., and Hawaii offices, and online. The winners were Tori Wills, Chais Pascua, and Daymien Rodrigues, all from Oahu.
Each spring, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sponsors the Kaha Ki’i Congressional Art Competition to recognize and encourage creativity across Hawaii as part of a nationwide high school art competition with other Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Writing contest winners announced
The 25 winners of the 11th annual My Hawaii Story Contest were recently announced. The theme of this year’s contest was “He Wa’a, He Moku”— Mālama Honua, celebrating the return of Hokule’a to Hawaii from the worldwide voyage.
Big Island winners were Grace Bostock, Roisin Darby, Morgan Davis, Koa Higgins, Gabriel Kalama, Kamaha’o Liu, Katherine Payne and Ella Prado. All are middle school students at Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
The winners will be presented with awards and prizes at the Hawaii Conservation Conference on July 17 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.
The top 25 poems and short stories were selected from 305 submissions and will be published in an anthology that is distributed to schools, libraries statewide and online on Hawaii Conservation Alliance site. The students’ writing represents their personal reflections on the environment, cultural values, kuleana, stewardship, and place-based writing, and contributes to a collection of youth literature that is unique to Hawaii.
The contest is co-sponsored by Pacific Writers’ Connection, Hawaii Conservation Alliance, and various state and federal agencies.
Film screenings
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ to be screened
The Kealakekua Public Library will screen “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Popcorn will be served and beverages in closed containers will be allowed.
Info: 323-7585.