Paintings by Nāwahī, Bailey, and two major Volcano School painters, Hitchcock and Furneaux, will be on display.  Photographs ranging from the 1880s Mauna Loa eruption to present-day Kīlauea, as well as recently discovered and digitized film footage from Halema`uma`u (ca. 1930s), Puna (1955), Kīlauea Iki (1959), and Kapoho (1960) eruptions will debut.

Among the curiosities included in the exhibit are eruption specimens (tephra) and the sextant of Thomas Jaggar, founder and first director of the HVO.  Excerpts from missionary Sarah Lyman’s Earthquake Journal, an important primary source for geologists as perhaps the earliest record of volcanic activity on Hawai`i Island, are also included.

The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawai`i to tell the story of its islands and peoples.  Please visit www.lymanmusuem.org or call (808) 935-5021 for additional information on the Museum and admission prices.

Pele and Hi’iaka, A Tale of Two Sisters
With Special Guests Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah
Friday, November 4th
5:00–7:30pm

Black and White Night is a downtown Hilo tradition, and the biggest street party of the year! For Black and White Night 2011, on November 4th, stop by Basically Books for an evening of sharing the art and culture of Hawaii through the legend of Pele and Hi’iaka.

Special guests Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah

The fun starts at 5:00pm with Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah as they perform traditional chants and hula celebrating the story of Pele and Hi’iaka. Leilehua and Manu both grew up with stories. Blessed with the privilege of being raised in part by their grandparents, they were exposed to the skills, talents, and culture of an older generation. When they were young, the term “cultural practitioner” was not yet in vogue. What is now known as “cultural practice” was then simply the way one’s ‘ohana, one’s family, did things. Children like Leilehua and Manu learned by observation, and by listening to stories. Now they pass on that tradition.

Author Dietrich Varez

Our celebration of the Pele and Hi’iaka legend continues at 5:30pm with artist and author Dietrich Varez! Varez will be launching his latest book Pele and Hi’iaka, A Tale of Two Sisters, published by Petroglyph Press. In this book, one of Hawaiian mythology’s greatest epics is freshly interpreted by one of Hawaii’s most celebrated artists. The story of Pele, goddess of Hawaii’s volcanoes, and her youngest sister, Hi’iakaikapoliopele, is retold and lavishly illustrated with the artist’s iconic block prints. The sensitive visual interpretation and simplified text honor the rich mythology passed through Hawaiian oral tradition. The picture–book style offers a fresh and accessible visual tribute to these enduring mythical figures with the turning of each page.

Don’t miss these exciting Black and White Night events at Basically Books! Please visit www.downtownhilo.com for more information on Black and White Night in downtown Hilo.

HILO, Hawai`i (October 18, 2011)

Hear the stories behind historically significant and culturally rich places with anthropologist and historian Judith Kirkendall, Ph.D. and Leslie Lang, author of Exploring Historic Hilo, on an architectural tour of East Hawaii’s “Gathering Places” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 5.  Seating is limited, so it is suggested to sign up by Wednesday, November 2.

The van tour will begin at the Lyman Museum and include stops at and information about schools, businesses, churches and even a handful of sites where significant bits of our history no longer stand.  Bento lunch and bottled water are included, and are $50 for Museum members and $65 for nonmembers (which includes free Museum admission on tour day).  Tickets may be purchased by calling 935-5021.

“We want to paint a picture for our guests of what Hilo town looked like around the turn of the 20^th century, as well as a bit earlier and later,” said Dr. Kirkendall. “It’s such a rich history.”  Kirkendall and Lang will also lead a “Domestic Structures” tour on Dec. 17. The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawai`i to tell the story of its islands and people.  For additional information visit www.lymanmuseum.org.

HILO, Hawai`i (September 12, 2011)—Do you know that Hilo once had a Portuguese distillery and a “Chinatown”?  Where are stones with mana located?  Enjoy the stories behind Hilo’s historically significant and culturally rich places when you join Dr. Judith Kirkendall on an architectural tour of East Hawaii’s “Early Stone Structures” on Saturday, October 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The van tour begins at the Lyman Museum and includes stops such as the ancient Hawaiian fish ponds in Keaukaha, locations of pre- and post- colonial importance, and Plantation Era Japanese and Chinese cemeteries.

Dr. Kirkendall comments: “Because pohaku (stones) were considered to have mana, they were duly respected in Hawaiian culture.  Whether it was a natural stone outcropping (Maui’s canoe) or a construction such as heiau (the Naha Stones), the stones were invested with power.”

Seating is limited, so be sure to reserve your space early!  Tickets include a bento lunch and bottled water, and are $50 for Museum members and $65 per nonmember (which includes free Museum admission on tour day).

“Early Stone Structures” is one of a series of three architectural van tours of East Hawai`i presented by the Lyman Museum and led by Dr. Kirkendall.  This series of tours will give visitors and residents a sense of Hilo’s history.  “We need to preserve our environment to the extent possible, in order to know who we are,” comments Dr. Kirkendall. Future tours include “Gathering Places of East Hawai`i” on November 5 and “Domestic Structures of East Hawai`i” on December 17.

The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawai`i to tell the story of its islands and people.  For additional information call 935-5021 or visit www.lymanmuseum.org.

Destination Hilo’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2011, from 11:30 to 1:00 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel – Moku`ola Room, at 71 Banyan Drive, Hilo.  Members and guests welcome.

We will introduce our new web-based Hawai`i Big Island Discount Museum Pass.  Guest speaker will be Hawaii County’s Managing Director, Bill Takaba.

Cost: $25 per person.

RSVP with payment to Destination Hilo, P.O. Box 1391, Hilo, HI 96721 by September 12.

Thanks to all our members and the County of Hawaii for your continued support.

Where:

Details: This novel about “ice” on the Big Island is written in classic noir style with colorful, believable characters, and a hard hitting storyline that tells it like it is. Talk story with the author as he shares a glimpse into our contemporary society resulting from “internal colonialism.”

Contact: Debra Ota, (808)961-0144, bbooksorders@hawaiiantel.net

Canoes representing Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, as well as Alaska, are supplemented by vintage photographs, maps, and informational panels that place canoes in their historical and cultural contexts.  Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Kamehameha Day (June 11) is a State holiday honoring the memory of the great king, Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands and became Hawai`i’s first king in 1810.

The annual LEI draping of Hilo’s King Kamehameha Statue begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2011.  The public is invited.  The Royal Societies and members of the community will present their ho`okupu (gifts) to honor Kamehameha the Great.  The County Band and the Kamehameha Chorus will share music.

The Kamehameha Festival, held on June 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is a culturally significant event honoring King Kamehameha.  The Royal Order of Kamehameha I has expanded the celebration, intending to protect, preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture by sharing traditional Hawaiian dance, music, chant, practices, arts, and crafts with island residents and visitors.  The festival is held on Moku ola (Island of Life, also known as Coconut Island), just over the bridge in Liliuokalani Gardens, off Banyan Drive, and is free to the public. For more information on the Kamehameha Festival see www.kamehamehafestival.org/festival.

Thousands of orchids in displays created by top notch growers and amateurs entice audiences in this three day spectacle at Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium. Visitors can expect to see exotic species, beautifully grown specimen plants and the latest hybrids, many created by Big Island orchid breeders. Judging of plants will be conducted by certified American Orchid Society judges with dozens of trophies and ribbons awarded. Information about orchids and their cultivation will be offered in free mini-classes conducted by experts. The show will feature a refreshment area with a silent auction, and entertainment each afternoon. Sales areas offer orchid and plant related products plus, of course, magnificent orchids for purchase, including some you won’t find in your typical retail garden store or nursery. Purchases may be shipped to the mainland. A Preview Party, benefitting the Ku`ikahi Mediation Center, a non-profit that provides affordable dispute resolution services to the people of East Hawaii will be held on Thursday, August 5 including great food, fine wine tasting, beer by Kona Brewing Company and live music by Rupert Tripp. Tickets for the preview party are $65 per person.  ORCHID SAFARI is sponsored by the County of Hawai\’i, Hawaii Tourism Authority and others.

For more information, call 808-333-1852 or go to www.hiloorchidsociety.org. You can also download a PDF file about the event.

From Hawaii Tribune-Herald – Your Views (Letter to the Editor) 11/11/06:

Port of Paradise

My husband and I recently visited Hilo on the “Island Princess,” where we received a copy of your “Hilo Port of Call” paper.  Having visited several other ports in the Hawaiian Islands, we were very impressed with the reception given us in the port, and wanted to convey this to you and the people concerned.

First of all, we had the pleasure of watching the performance of the Kupuna dancers and musicians.  We were then given a copy of your paper, and after that we visited the stalls of merchandise set up on the pier.  The articles offered were so good that I didn’t shop anywhere else, and also had the pleasure of buying one of the flower arrangements to take aboard the ship.  This was a lovely idea, and the flowers stayed fresh for the remainder of the cruise.

For independent travelers like ourselves, the Aloha Room is a wonderful idea, and we were so impressed by the helpfulness of the staff.

I shall certainly pass this information on to any friends traveling to Hilo, and I hope one day we can repeat the experience.

Bill and Jillian Taylor, Los Angeles