Your Community Calendar

* Wednesday

• Kailua-Kona Seniors meeting, 10 a.m. at Hale Halawai to celebrate Easter with fun hats and games with eggs. Visitors welcome. Info: Joan, 329-1951.

• Kealakehe’s Got Talent, 6-8 p.m. at Kealakehe High School. Featuring Kealakehe’s finest entertainers, singers, dancers, musicians, comedians and more. $5 in advance, $7 at the door.

• Kealakekua Public Library presents “A Bug’s Life,” 2-4 p.m. A misfit ant recruits warriors to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers. Free popcorn will be served and beverages in closed containers are permitted. Info: folk@folkhawaii.com, 323-7585.

• Gardening with nature, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Kealakekua Public Library. Ed Fenzl of Living Light Landscapes teaches about natural gardening and pollinator gardens. Free to the public. Info: www.folkhawaii.com, 323-7585.

• Kona Parkinson’s support group, 1 p.m. at the West Hawaii Community Health Center, 75-5751 Kuakini Highway, Conference room A. Guest speaker is Dr. Brett Cary discussing fall avoidance, current research, wearables and the role of exercise in Parkinson’s treatment. Info: Tom St. John, (925) 785-6093, tomstjohn1@gmail.com.

* Thursday

• The Speed of Light with Louise Riofrio, author and former scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Tutu’s House in Waimea. Light is a key part of our life, even before our eyes open at birth. Before and during her work with NASA, Louise discovered that the speed of light is changing. This affects everything from a computer to Earth’s climate. 64-1032 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite 304. Info: 885-6777.

• Bread baking at the Portuguese stone oven, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kona Historical Society, 81-6551 Mamalahoa Highway, Kealakekua. Info: konahistorical.org, 323-3222.

* Friday

• Kona Beth Shalom is holding its annual community Passover Seder, 6 p.m. at the Makaeo Events Pavilion in Old Kona Airport Park. Info: Contact Alan Silverman, 238-0351.

* Saturday

• Hoaaina Stewardship Day, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Kahaluu Bay Education Center, 78-6710 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona. Guided cultural and stewardship tour of the park, a beach and park cleanup, info on supporting healthy coral and marine ecosystems and more. Free.

• Keoua Honaunau Canoe Club’s 38th annual Mac-A-Thon, 7 a.m. at Keoua Canoe Club, 000 Honaunau Bay Road, Honaunau. Hawaii Island’s oldest annual 5 and 10km race. Award ceremony, the famous Mac-Nut Pancake Breakfast (included with entry fee), entertainment, auction, and lots of fun. Info: contact@keouacanoeclub.com, keouacanoeclub.com.

• Aloha Quilters of Kona will meet 9:30 a.m. at Queen Emma Community Center at Christ Church in Kealakekua. Meeting is open to everyone, novice quilters or “old hands,” with interest in traditional or Hawaiian-style quilting. Amy Allen, an award-winning quilter, will present a trunk show featuring her beautiful quilts and quilting expertise. For more information, call Eileen at 328-8027.

• Kona Earth and Ocean Day will be celebrated from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hale Iako building at NELHA. Workshops, talks and a potluck lunch. Info: Contact Sue Aronson at 960-6969 or suearonson808@gmail.com.

* APRIL 21

• Kona Ministers Fellowship 36th annual Sunrise Service, 6 a.m. at the Old Airport ball field. There will be a children’s message, all-church hula, and much more. Please bring your own blanket or chair, as seating is limited.

* APRIL 23

• Financing Roundtable for Contractors, 9–11:30 a.m. at SBA Hawaii District Office, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 1-306. Specialized training for new and existing small business contractors seeking financing. Meet local lenders, learn what types of financing are available, how to pursue financing, and more. Registration and information: 541‑2990, ext. 211, or mary.dale@sba.gov.

• The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Educational Foundation, Hawaii Island District, invites local employers to participate in a workshop to help employers and small business owners learn about current recruiting trends and how to develop a more effective talent acquisition strategy. Breakfast session 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Friends of NELHA Gateway Visitor Center, 73-4485 Kahilihili Street in Kailua-Kona. Cost is $25 for SHRM members, and $35 for non-members.

* APRIL 24

• Senior ID card giveaway, 9 a.m. to noon, West Hawaii Civic Center – Building B, Kona. Info: 323-4320.

• Kailua-Kona Seniors meeting, 10 a.m. at Hale Halawai. Celebrating April birthdays and enjoying game day with Bingo, Scrabble, and others. All seniors welcome. Info: Joan, 329-1951.

• Konawaena Middle School Family Game Night, 5:30-7 p.m. at Konawaena cafeteria. Free food, games and other fun activities led by KMS teachers and staff.

• Read Aloud Shakespeare group, 6-7:30 p.m. in Keauhou, featuring “Romeo and Juliet.” Bring a copy of the play and take turns reading the parts: no previous Shakespeare or acting ability required. Call Joy Vogelgesang at 557-0694 for information.

* APRIL 25

• Kupuna Singles dinner, 5:30 p.m. at the Manago Hotel. Info: 333-8049.

* APRIL 27

• World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, 10 a.m. to noon at the makai north end of Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area, 75 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona. Free and open to the public. Tai chi is a martial arts form paired with qigong (breathing exercises) which help to improve the circulatory system and provide overall health benefits.

• Phone Photography Workshop with Alvis Upitis, 1-4 p.m. at SKEA. If your primary camera is your phone, improve the aesthetic as well as technical look of your photos. Tuition $30 for SKEA members, $35 for non-members.

• Raku Pottery Workshop with Alysia Samaru and Lynn Peavy, 1-4 p.m. at SKEA, today and May 11. Hand-build 2 decorative pieces, dry and bisque, and upon return in 2 weeks, glaze and raku fire. Tuition is $75 for SKEA members and $85 for non-members and includes all supplies.

• Hawaii Police Department is hosting National Take-Back Day, providing the community an opportunity to turn in your unused or expired medications for safe, anonymous disposal. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kona Police Station parking lot, 74-0611 Hale Makai Place, Kailua-Kona. Info: Call 541-1930 or visit www.dea.gov.

* April 28

* KJCA Food Festival and Children’s Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Old Airport Makaeo pavilion Calligraphy, origami making, entertainment, food tasting, and much more. Rock climbing, jumping castle, and games will be available for the children. There will also be booths for crafts. $10 and free for children 5 and younger. Info: Jenny Ushiroda at 443-4226 or Pauline Uchimura at 896-4088.

• “Malama the Music,” concert by Big Island Music Academy and guests Bill Noble and Lt Smooth, 2-5 p.m. at the Holualoa Inn. Light pupus, silent auction and great music. Tickets/info: bigislandmusicacademy.org.

* May 2

A town hall meeting by the Hawaii Island Coalition Against Human Trafficking will take place 6-8 p.m. at the West Hawaii Civic meeting room. The meeting with be for human trafficking research on Hawaii Ialalnd and how to create a stronger, safer commmunity.

* MAY 4

• Parenting education course, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Neighborhood Place of Kona, focusing on teaching and role-modeling proper values and behaviors. A certificate of completion is awarded to those who attend and participate in the class. There is no cost to attend. Info: 331-8777.

• Gyotaku Fish Print Workshop with Bill Twibell, 1-4 p.m. at SKEA. A traditional form of Japanese art. Tuition is $35 for SKEA members and $40 for non-members, and includes all supplies.

* MAY 5

• Kupuna Singles lunch, 11:30 a.m. at Quinn’s. Info: 322-9098.

* MAY 9

• Free brain health workshop by HMSA, 10-11 a.m. at the HMSA Kona Office, 75-1029 Henry St. Ste 301, Kailua Kona. Learn how to maximize your brain’s fitness in this entertaining and interactive workshop. Please call 855-329-5461 to register.

* MAY 15

Free skin cancer screening at Dr. Monica Scheel Dermatology’s Kailua-Kona office, 2-4 p.m. Learn how to protect your skin, find out about the danger signs of skin cancer, and see UV damage in a skin scope. First come, first serve. Free reef-safe sunscreen samples and snacks. Info: Call 329-1146.

* MAY 18

• Kona Aerials Gymnastics Vegas Night fundraiser at the Hale Halawai Pavilion in Kailua-Kona to support the gymnastics team’s ongoing competitions on the islands and the mainland. Enjoy a Las Vegas atmosphere featuring casino games, food, friends, fun, and a silent auction. Info: 329-4313 or 987-4491, or email konaaerials@aol.com, or visit www.gymnasticshawaii.com.

* MAY 22

• Kupuna Singles Happy Hour, 3 p.m. at Ocean’s Sports Bar. Info: 640-7665.

* JUNE 6

• Free RE|THINK workshop by HMSA, 10-11 a.m. at the HMSA Kona Office, 75-1029 Henry St. Ste 301, Kailua Kona. Use positive psychology to rethink perceptions and attitudes, and tap into that inner source of wellbeing shared by all. Please call 855-329-5461 to register.

* JUNE 20

• Kupuna Singles lunch, 11:30 a.m. at Chubby’s in the bowling alley. Info: 937-9732.