December Hawaiian Cultural & After Dark in the Park Events

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park will continue to share its Hawaiian Culture and After Dark in the Park programs throughout the month of December.

Admission to the cultural and after dark programs are free, but park entrance fees apply and a $2 donation helps support the programs.

Learn the Art of Stamping (Kāpala) with Plants.
The art of kāpala, or stamping a design on fabric using plants, is a fun and easy way to express your creativity and get in touch with Hawaiian culture. Park rangers will show how to create a beautiful tote bag during this hands-on cultural demonstration, and you get to take your tote home with you. The Wednesday, Dec. 9 activity will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Kilauea Visitor’s Center and is part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops.

National Park Service photo.

Kenneth Makuakāne in Concert. 

Talented and award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer Kenneth Makuakāne returns to Kilauea to perform his beautiful songs. He has received more than 150 nominations and a total of 15 Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, and in May 2015, Kenneth received the prestigious Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award – the youngest recipient to receive the honor. Kenneth’s songs have been performed many times at the Merrie Monarch Festival, and his music is featured in major motion pictures, including Honeymoon in Las Vegas, Ka‘iulani, and Parent Trap in Paradise. He has five solo CDs and two ‘ukulele instrumental CDs to his credit. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ Nā Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” performances, the concert will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium.

National Park Service photo.

Presentification: Making the Invisible Visible.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium, the park’s new Artist-in-Residence, Dr. Jean-René Leblanc, presents images from Calgary, Hawai‘i, and Greece to contextualize the new body of work created during his residency. Through a series of images that explore the photographic act as an investigative process, Leblanc will share insight on the interrelation between creative impulse and the creation of photographic artifacts.  Dr. Leblanc, a professor of fine arts at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, incorporates infrared spectrum photography into his digital tableaux to “make the invisible visible.” Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series.

‘Ulana Niu (Coconut Weaving). 

Learn how to transform ‘ulana niu (coconut fronds) into fun items and take home your creations at HVNP on Wednesday, Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join park rangers on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai as they share their knowledge and love of this popular traditional Hawaiian cultural practice. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops.