Top 10 things to do on Big Island for Jan. 23-29: ManaFest, King Tide Tour, Winemaker Dinner Series, Shakespeare in Paradise and more

We are a little late with this week’s top 10, but the Big Island is definitely not behind on delivering another packed schedule of events, festivals and activities.

There’s the transformative dance, music and arts festival in paradise that is ManaFest on the Lower Puna coast outside Kalapana Seaview Estates that will provide an abundance of family-friendly vibes and allow everyone who attends a chance to refresh, renew and reawaken their spirit.

Shane Hall and Tavana are teaming up to send a sonic surge of soul through the islands on The King Tide Tour, bringing their explosive, powerful and authentic sounds to Hilo’s historic Palace Theater. Each of them carry original vibes that dip deep into Americana and the blues.

If it’s your taste buds you want to treat, Kamuela Provision Company at Hilton Waikoloa Village is uncorking its new Winemaker Dinner Series, starting with Amici Cellars and a delectable 5-course meal creatively crafted by Chef Albert Sandoval to specifically pair with and complement the winemaker’s vino.

An enchanting afternoon also awaits in Waimea at Kahilu Theatre during Shakespeare in Paradise. The concert event featuring classical orchestral beauty and works inspired by the Bard himself, such as “Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture” from Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn’s serene and magical “Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” also showcases winners of the 2024-25 Madeline Schatz-Harris Youth Concerto Competition.

All the world’s a stage, and with those events and more — including a beach outing with the Mental Restorations Foundation and Captain Kimos’s Hawaiian Adventures at Reeds Bay Beach Park in Hilo, the 8th ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest and East Hawaiʻi Master Gardeners Plant Sale in Hilo and one more Volcano Awareness Month event at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park — be sure to get out and be one of the actors.

Here’s our top 10 things to do on the Big Island for Jan. 23-29.

No. 1 — 7th annual ManaFest (Kalapana Seaview Estates, Jan. 24-26)

When: Various times

Location: Kalani Oceanside Retreat Center, 12-6870 Kalapana-Kapoho Road

If you come to be healed, you will be healed. Looking to find friends? You will find them. If dancing is your thing, you won’t stop. Sacred connections are all but guaranteed. Celebrate and immerse yourself in creativity, connection and community with three states of live, uplifting music, dance, live painting, sacred fire, workshops, a vibrant marketplace, an elixir and awa bar and a whole lot more.

This transformative dance, music and arts festival in paradise allows you to refresh, renew and reawaken your spirit in a place where the ocean meets the jungle. Everyone is welcome. There is an abundance of family-friendly vibes to go around.

Ticket prices vary depending on number of days, activities and other considerations. Keiki 17 years old and younger are free.

For more info or to purchase tickets: Visit the ManaFest website.

No. 2 — The King Tide Tour with Shane Hall and Tavana (Hilo, Jan. 24)

When: 7 p.m.; doors, box office and concessions open at 6 p.m.

Location: Palace Theater, 38 Haili St.

King tides are the highest predicted tides of the year. They’re the perfect analogy for this highly anticipated tour featuring these two explosive and powerful performers whose authentic sounds each carry an original vibe dipping deep into Americana and the blues.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Hall, who hails from Oceanside, Calif., is redefining the Indie music scene with his electrifying presence. Honolulu’s one-man musical master Tavana who bridges the gap between Hawaiian music and delta blues. Together, they are a sonic surge of sound and soul throughout the islands.

Tickets are $35 general admission or $45 priority orchestra seating. Prices increase $5 the day of the show.

For more info or to purchase tickets: Visit the Palace Theater website.

No. 3 — “A View from the Bridge” (Hilo, Jan. 24-Feb. 2)

When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays

Location: East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, 141 Kalākaua St.

​​Brooklyn laborer Eddie Carbone has always put family and honor above all else. It’s his possessive love of his niece — who his wife and he raised as their own daughter — that will unravel his world, driving him to take action that not only betrays his family but also his own deep-rooted ideals.

This production of the play by Arthur Miller is presented by Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre, or HEART, the same team that brought “Chicago,” “The Lion King Jr.,” “Beauty and The Beast,” “Avenue Q,” “The Prom,” “Grease,” “Cabaret,” “Aladdin Jr.,” “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Biloxi Blues” and more to the Hilo stage.

Directed by Larry Reitzer, the show stars Greg Berney, Mike Caputo, Dayva Escobar, Wilfred Gee, David Greene, Saul Rollason, Suzenne “Zenne” Seradwyn and Damien Stack.

For more info or to purchase tickets: Visit the HEART website.

No. 4 — Reeds Bay Beach Park Outing (Hilo, Jan. 25)

When: 10 a.m.

Location: Reeds Bay Beach Park, 225 Banyan Drive

Are you ready for a day of soaking up some sun, unwinding with your feet in the sand and unforgettable fun with ‘ohana and friends by the ocean? Then join the Mental Restorations Foundation and Captain Kimo’s Hawaiian Adventures to get away from the stresses of everyday life and relax with the sea breeze caressing your face.

Enjoy a BBQ by the beach, show off your paddleboarding skills (with kayaks in the works), dive into a variety of water games and adventures while you enjoy the beauty of this scenic Hilo beach spot and more.

For more info: Call 808-315-5594 or email to micahmjg@yahoo.com.

No. 5 — Liliu‘okalani at Washington Place (Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Jan. 25)

When: 11 a.m.

Location: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, turn near the 70.5-mile marker on Highway 11 in Kaʻū, about an hour from the park’s main entrance

Jackie Pualani Johnson, a professor emerita at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, truly embodies Hawai‘i Queen Liliu‘okalani in this living history performance that commemorates the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in January 1893. She developed the Hilo campus’ theater arts program and taught there 30-plus years, creating this multi-media play.

For more info: Call Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park at 808-985-6011.

No. 6 — Winter & Spring 2025 Winemaker Dinner Series: Amici Cellars (Waikōloa, Jan. 25)

When: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Kamuela Provision Company, Hilton Waikoloa Village, 69-425 Waikōloa Beach Drive

Come savor fine, renowned wines from throughout the United States paired with exquisite, locally-sourced and expertly crafted menus while you enjoy the stunning sunset backdrop and an eveening of dining, wine and storytelling on the Kohala Coast.

The series uncorks this weekend with Amici Cellars. Owner and chief executive officer John Harris will guide guests through a curated selection of Amici wines paired with a thoughtfully designed 5-course menu crafted by Chef Albert Sandoval.

For more info or to book your reservation: Visit the Hilton Waikōloa Village website.

No. 7 — 8th ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest and East Hawaiʻi Master Gardeners Plant Sale (Hilo, Jan. 26)

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Komohana Research and Extension Center, 875 Komohana St.

East Hawaiʻi Master Gardeners and ‘Ōhiʻa Love Fest cultivated the perfect variety of community event blooming this weekend. Come take a stroll through the garden to enjoy the new breed of festival — and buy some plants to take home, too! There will be talks, garden walks, music, moʻolelo (stories) and more, with 4-H selling concessions.

You don’t even have to sign up to attend. Just come have a good time. Peruse the more than 1,200 plants for sale. Learn about ʻōhiʻa, the most abundant native tree in Hawai‘i, at the same time and how to fight rapid ʻōhiʻa death, which has killed more than 1 million ʻōhiʻa on the Big Island.

All sales cash only.

For more info: Visit the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources rapid ‘ōhiʻa death website.

No. 8 — Shakespeare in Paradise (Waimea, Jan. 26)

When: 2 p.m.

Location: Kahilu Theatre, 67-1186 Lindsey Road

Experience an enchanting afternoon of orchestral beauty and stunning showcase of young talent alongside timeless works inspired by the Bard.

Winners of the 2024-25 Madeline Schatz-Harris Youth Concerto Competition will be featured throughout the concert, which will include works such as Tchaikovsky’s sweeping “Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture,” Mendelssohn’s serene and magical “Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Bellini’s dramatic “Overture to The Capulets and the Montagues.”

Tickets start at just $22. Don’t miss this event that brings music inspired by all the worlds of Shakespeare to the Kahilu stage.

For more info and to buy tickets: Visit the Kahilu Theatre website.

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Volcano Awareness Month spotlight

No. 9 — Kīlauea Volcano’s Explosive Past (Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Jan. 28)

When: 10 a.m.

Location: Meet at the Uēkahuna parking lot

Kīlauea is known for erupting lava flows, but it also has been explosive in its past. Join Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Kendra Lynn on a short 1-mile roundtrip walk along the caldera rim between Uēkahuna and Kīlauea overlooks, where you will learn about these explosive deposits from Kīlauea.

Kendra will talk about her work investigating the magma storage conditions leading to explosive events. Wear sturdy closed-toe walking shoes; bring protective gear for sun and rain and bring drinking water.

For more info: Call Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park at 808-985-6011.

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No. 10 — Gut, Wind and Wire (Hilo, Jan. 28)

When: 7 p.m.

Location: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Kāwili St.

Esteemed Baltimore Consort musicians and trio founders Ronn McFarlane on lute (Gut), Mindy Rosenfeld on wooden flutes, fifes and pipes (Wind) and Mark Cudek on cittern (Wire) will perform popular music from Renaissance England, Scotland, Italy and France, along with traditional Celtic music and Grammy-nominated original music by McFarlane.

Join the Hawai‘i Concert Society, which has been bringing music and dance to the Big Island since 1957, for this amazing evening of what one publication called artful arrangements and expert, entertaining style and another said is an inspiration and joy, “just as it was for listening in 1600.”

General admission is $25. Seniors age 60 and older are $20, and students are $10.

For more info or to purchase tickets: Visit the Hawai‘i Concert Society website.

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Want to check for yourself what’s going on around the island?

We admit. We can’t fit everything going on each week in our top 10. So here are websites for some popular Big Island venues that you can peruse to discover other events, activities, shows, festivals or workshops that pique your interest.

• Aloha Theatre, Kealakekua: https://apachawaii.org/
• Blue Dragon Tavern, Kawaihae: https://www.bluedragontavern.com/
• Donkey Mill Art Center, Hōlualoa: https://donkeymillartcenter.org/
• East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, Hilo: https://ehcc.org/
• Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
• Hilo Town Market, Hilo: https://hilotownmarket.co/events
• Hilo Town Tavern, Hilo (on Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041333509786
• Honoka‘a People’s Theatre, Honoka‘a: https://www.honokaapeople.com/
• Kahilu Theatre, Waimea: https://kahilu.org/
• Keauhou Shopping Center, Kailua-Kona: https://keauhoushoppingcenter.com/experience/
• Kona Commons, Kailua-Kona: https://www.konacommons.com/events
• Lava Shack, Pāhoa (on Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/lavashackpahoa/?hl=en
• Lyman Museum, Hilo: https://lymanmuseum.org/
• MyBar Kona, Kailua-Kona: https://www.mybarkona.com/
• Palace Theater, Hilo: https://hilopalace.com/
• University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Performing Arts Center, Hilo: https://artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu/
• Volcano Art Center, Volcano: https://volcanoartcenter.org/
• Wailoa Center, Hilo: https://www.wailoacenter.com/
• Willy’s Hot Chicken, Kailua-Kona: https://willieshotchicken.com/