Community

The 3rd annual 808 Day festival takes place on Aug. 5, staring at 4 p.m. at Kona BREW and includes acclaimed artists such as Landon McNamara, Through the Roots and Irie Love.

Beginning Aug. 12, the Big Island swimming pool in Kapaʻau will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 2 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Kona Dance and Performing Arts, which is about to begin its 8th season in Kealakekua, is holding a keiki-friendly open house.

The county will take old motor oil, poisons and other hazardous materials. Latex paint or electronics will not be accepted. Containters dropped off for disposal will not be returned.

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, also known as Sovereignty Restoration Day for, takes place on July 31 in Hawai’i.

Recovery efforts have been frustratingly slow on all fronts during the nearly five years since the catastrophic Kīlauea eruption ended in September 2018, leaving a big wake of destruction. But work and property buyouts continue five years later.

Changemakers Hawaiʻi, a Hilo-based Community and Economic Development Financial Institution for Native Hawaiian and underserved communities, will announce a new initiative to provide 1,000 hours of free fund development assistance for a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization.

In just the first 15 hours, 304 people donated more than $40,000, double the goal of $20,000, to help the family of Yohan Choi, who tragically died on July 24 in a spearfishing accident at only age 17.

The free Big Island event offered crafts, games, food, informational fun booths, entertainment, prize giveaways, including backpacks with school supplies and starter emergency kits, and more.

The Noho Paipai instructor training course will be hosted by John Pellitteri and provide those who participate with training, coaching and feedback to deliver certification coursework to improve listening and communication effectiveness.

Join Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library on July 29 for the Seeds of Knowledge Community Fair, a free and family-friendly event that celebrates its end-of summer reading challenge.

Fur or scales? With the myriad of creatures and critters housed at the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens, visitors are bound to have a favorite among the 225 residents. Let us know which animal is your favorite by taking Big Island Now Poll #20.

After struggling years with community producers leaving during the COVID-19 pandemic and an embezzlement scandal, new CEO and president Ashley Kierkiewicz is breathing new life into Hawaiʻi Islandʻs public access station Nā Leo TV.

The Hilo Orchid Show Gala Preview Party — a “fun”-raiser that kicks off the Annual Orchid Show and Sale in Hilo and raises funds for peace and agriculture — will be held on July 27 at the Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium.

The 39th annual Cultural Festival at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on July 22 will feature a stellar lineup of local musicians, hula hālau, Hawaiian games and crafts, local exhibitors and vendors.

The Hawaiʻi County Mass Transit Agency invites the public to participate in the “Meet the Bus” event on July 11. Attendees can interact with agency representatives, explore alternative-fueled buses, and learn about the latest developments in public transportation.

AARP Hawaiʻi will host a series of free webinars on Saturdays in July that center on retirement plans.

The shopping center in Kailua-Kona on the west side of the Big Island is helping students and educators get ready for the new school year in style while enjoying the last moments of summer.

Hawai’i County Council chair Heather Kimball and Danielle M. Bass, the state’s Sustainability Coordinator, will be guest speakers at the July 6 Waimea Community Association meeting that will focus on sustainability and resilience.

For 120 miles along the West Hawaiʻi coastline, from ‘Upolu Point to South Point, fragments of coral large and small are broken every day by big winter swells, rising ocean temperatures, illegal anchor drops, and legal and illegal moorings.