Top 10 things to do on Big Island for Nov. 21-27: 7th annual Turkey Trot; ‘Pan, Shadow & Tinker: A Thanksgiving Carol’; upcoming Turkey Day community meals; and more

The holidays are drawing ever closer. Thanksgiving is just a week from today.

Before you sit down with the family to tackle all that tasty turkey and the accompanying delicious side dishes, preemptively burn some calories to make extra room and help a Big Island nonprofit with the mission to end hunger in Hawaiʻi County.

Fairmont Orchid’s 7th annual 5K Walk/Run Turkey Trot is Saturday.

Registration is at 6:30 a.m., with trotters heading out to strut their feathers at 7:30 a.m.

All registration fees and donations raised during the pre-Turkey Day 5K will go to The Food Basket, Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank.

If you’d rather take it easy and save all your energy for Thanksgiving Day dinner, take in a show and let the students of N2 Dance entertain you with a dickens of a good time.

The dance school production of the original musical “Pan, Shadow & Tinker: A Thanskgiving Carol” is Friday and Saturday. There’s even pre-show entertainment to enjoy.

A cast of 80-plus performers from age 2 years old to adult will showcase their singing, acting and hip hop, jazz and hula dancing skills in this show that combines elements of “Peter Pan” and “A Christmas Carol.”

We also wanted to give you an extra heads up for a few Thanksgiving Day community meal events being hosted by The Salvation Army.

The Kona Corps in partnership with Papa Kona’s, Cal Kona and Jackie Rey’s is hosting a grab-n-go meal, the Hilo Temple Corps is having its annual sit-down dinner and the Honokaʻa Corps will deliver 600 boxed meals on Turkey Day to families in need.

The 35th annual Hilo Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair, the biggest holiday shopping event of the year, is also this weekend, and Waimea and Waikōloa will each have events featuring work by Big Island artists up for grabs that would make unique gifts for loved ones.

Those are just some of the upcoming events happening around the island.

Here are our top 10 events — plus that extra Turkey Day planner — for Nov. 21-27.

No. 1 — Large Whale Entanglement Response in Hawai’i: Past, Present and the Future (Kailua-Kona, Nov. 21)

When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Location: Ridge to Reef Restoration Center (3RC), Hawaiʻi Ocean Science and Technology Park, 73-4485 Kahilihili St.

Nonprofit Mālama Kai Foundation has been dedicated to ocean stewardship through community service and public education since it was founded in 1991. Its monthly Reef Talks lecture series focuses on topics about ocean conservation.

The November Reef Talk will be presented by Maria Harvey, large whale resource protection and monitoring assistant with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

If you can’t make it in person, you can watch the livestream on YouTube. For more information, send an email to ReefTalks@malamakaifoundation.org.

No. 2 — 35th annual Hilo Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair (Hilo, Nov. 22-23)

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium, 350 Kalanikoa St.

Don’t miss the biggest shopping event of the year. You’ll have jewelry, clothing, notecards, calendars, art, handmade crafts, dish towels, soap, candles and much more to peruse at this holiday craft fair, featuring 100-plus vendors and artists from the Big Island, Hawai’i and elsewhere.

There also will be a wide variety of food vendors on hand if — and when — you get hungry from doing all that searching for the perfect gifts for your loved ones. You can even get some goodies to take home to share. Plus, there will be door prizes, too.

Admission is $3 at the door; keiki 12 and younger are free the last hour of each day. For a full lineup of vendors and more, click here.

No. 3 — Big Island Singers in concert (Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Nov. 22)

When: 7 p.m.

Location: Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium, 1 Crater Rim Drive

This 36-person community chorus led by Doug Albertson, in its fifth season, celebrates the world around us with song during its concert “Earth, Sea, Sky.”

Inspired by the wonders and connections of the natural world, songs include parts of poetry and writings of Nicholas Black Elk, Walter de la Mare, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Leonora Speyer and James Weldon Johnson. It will also feature some original compositions by accompanist Doug Howell and choir member Eric Anderson.

The show is part of the park’s ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Admission is free, but park entrance fees apply.

The chorus also will perform “Earth, Sea, Sky” at 4 p.m. Nov. 23 at First United Protestant Church, located at 1350 Waiānuenue Avenue, in Hilo and 4 p.m. Nov. 24 at Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles, located at 1407 Kapiʻolani St., in Hilo. Admission to those concerts is also free. Donations are welcome.

No. 4 — Silent Movie Night: “Nosferatu” (Hilo, Nov. 22)

When: 7 p.m.; doors, box office and concessions open at 6:30 p.m.

Location: Palace Theater, 38 Haili St.

Come relive the terror of this 1922 film that tells the story of vampire Count Orlok finding interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter’s wife. The film will be accompanied by a live score performed on the mighty Palace pipe organ by Walter Greenwood.

Silent Movie Night is a joint fundraiser by the Friends of the Palace Theater and Hilo Theatre Organ Society and raises funds for ongoing maintenance and restoration of the Palace organ.

Advance tickets are $12 and can be purchased online. Tickets at the door at $15.

No. 5 — “Almost, Maine” (Waimea, Nov. 22-23)

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday

Location: Kahilu Theatre, 67-1186 Lindsey Road

Take a trip so far north in the United States, it’s almost in Canada, actually. It’s even not quite a town because the residents never got around to organizing, so it almost doesn’t exist.

The people of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in hilariously unexpected ways, with the Northern Lights glowing overhead during a clold, clear midwinter night — with some knews bruised and hearts broken. In the end, all is well, almost, in this crazy winter dream.

The show is recommended for ages 16 years and older because of adult content. Tickets are $35 general admission or $30 for students and seniors and can be purchased online in advance.

No. 6 — “Pan, Shadow & Tinker: A Thanksgiving Carol” (Hilo, Nov. 22-23)

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday; pre-show entertainment begins 15 minutes before

Location: University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Kāwili St.

Celebrate the holidays with an original musical production that combines elements of “Peter Pan” and “A Christmas Carol,” featuring singing, acting and hip hop, jazz and hula dancing performed by students of N2 Dance. It will showcase a cast of 80-plus performers from age 2 years old to adult, and promises a dickens of a good time.

Pre-sale tickets are $25 general admission or $15 for keiki 12 years old and younger and available to purchase for cash at Perfect Harmony, located at 276 Keawe St., in Downtown Hilo. Tickets at the door are $30 general admission or $20 for keiki 12 and younger.

For more information or to purchase pre-sale tickets electronically, visit the N2 Dance website.

No. 7 — 7th annual 5K Walk/Run Turkey Trot (Kohala Coast, Nov. 23)

When: 6:30 to 10 a.m.

Location: Plantation Estate, Fairmont Orchid, 1 N. Kaniku Drive

Calling all gobblers. Fairmont Orchid invites everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving by giving back and supporting the local community. All registration fees and donations raised from the event will be given to The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s food bank.

Registation starts at 6:30 a.m. The run/walk begins at 7:30 a.m. All participants will be entered to win a variety of prizes. Complimentary refreshments and cocktails will also be available for all those fine featherd friends who come to trot.

For more information, visit the Fairmont Orchid website.

No. 8 — 4th annual Art Event Waimea (Waimea, Nov. 23-24)

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

Location: Anna Ranch Heritage Center, 65-1480 Kawaihae Road

Artwork by eight Big Island artists — including five with pieces in the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts collection — from a range of mediums will be displayed and up for sale, with 20% of the proceeds to benefit Anna Ranch Heritage Center. The center is listed on the national and state Registers of Historic Places.

Those who attend also can take a tour of the heritage center from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. Email arteventwaimea@gmail.com for more information.

For questions or more information, visit the Anna Ranch Heritage Center website or call 808-885-4426.

No. 9 — Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center’s 13th Bird-Day Party (Kapaʻau, Nov. 23)

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center, 53-324 Lighthouse Road

Come get a special behind the scenes peek at this amazing facility and help celebrate its 13th anniversary of more than a decade of winged wildlife care on the Big Island.

Get a guided walk-through of the center’s wildlife hospital, from intake to recovery, use for medical and rehabilitation work. The walk-through is designed to be a fun and educational experience about wildlife hospital care. For health and safety purposes, none of the center’s bird and bat patients will be on display.

There will also be fun activities, free popcorn and more. Don’t let this opportunity for fun and education fly by. Sign up online today for a walk-through. For more information or any questions, call 808-884-5000 or email angela@hawaiiwildlifecenter.org.

No. 10 — Waikōloa Stables Art Fair (Waikōloa, Nov. 24)

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Waikōloa Stables, 68-1938 Waikōloa Road

Are you looking for something a little more artsy or handmade for that special someone or a hard-to-buy-for family member this holiday season? Maybe you’re searching for something more unique as a holiday gift?

Come check out the photography, paintings, ceramics, beadwork, sculptures, carvings, jewelry, artisan soaps and more crafted, created and made by Big Island artists and enjoy the serene space while you shop for holiday gifts and treasures. There also will be food vendors available for when you need to recharge before another round of retail therapy.

Admission is free. For more information or any questions, call Chris at 209-614-1631 or email darkhorsehawaii@gmail.com.

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Plan Ahead for Turkey Day — Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Meals (Kailua-Kona, Hilo and Honokaʻa; Nov. 28)

When: Various times

Location: Various locations

The Salvation Army – Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, with the help of its generous partners, donors and volunteers, is hosting several festive events to set the holiday table, serving up thousands of Thanksgiving Day meals around the Big Island.

The Kona Corps in partnership with Papa Kona’s, Cal Kona and Jackie Rey’s is hosting a grab-n-go meal for the community. Meals — while supplies last — can be picked up starting at 10:30 a.m. at Jackie Rey’s, located at 75-5995 Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. An additional 500 meals will also be delivered to serve kūpuna in the community. For more information, call 808-326-2330.

The Hilo Temple Corps is hosting its annual sit-down Thanksgiving Day dinner at 11 a.m. at Aunt Sally Kaleohano’s Lū‘au Hale, located at 799 Piʻilani St., in Hilo. For more information, call 808-935-1277.

The Honokaʻa Corps will deliver 600 boxed meals to neighboring families in need. For more information, call 808-775-7346.

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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/