May 2013 - Event Listings - Happy May Day!

After April, I feel like May will be a month of recovery from the A to Z Challenge. Just kidding! It was a great experience, and maybe my life will get back to normal. 

We've had a lot of voggy days recently plus Kona weather which brings in wind from the South, the direction of Kona on the Big Island. For some people, this means more headaches and sluggishness. Today, there's a great breeze and it's May Day (or Lei Day) in Hawaii. This list will be updated as I have time and inclination!

Hula dancer with maile lei. 
Original art by Suzy Papanikolas, at Viewpoints Maui.

Now through 5/12 - Art of Trash exhibit at the Maui Mall. Annual art show of trash. Great fun. I'm totally biased because I usually enter and volunteered yesterday. Here are a few posts from last year: Is this really trash?, art of trash overview, and art of trash Buddha. 

Also ending 5/12 - the Art Maui annual exhibit. This is often considered the most prestigious art show on Maui other than the Schaeffer portrait exhibit which only occurs every four years. Here's a post from last year about the opening reception. 

5/1 - May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii. Often more celebrated at public schools where the children dance hula and give other performances. The Fairmount Kea Lani Resort is offering a public May Day event with hula lessons and lei making. 

5/2 - Grand opening of the Community Garden at the University of Hawaii Maui Campus
4-6 pm. Tours of the garden, refreshments available, and they are using "earth bags" to create raised beds.

5/3 - 5/5 - St. Joseph's Feast in Makawao. An upcountry local event supporting St. Joseph's Church with bouncy castles, lots of malasadas (Portuguese sugary doughnut-like sweets), games, entertainment. This event, one of the oldest on Maui, started in  the 19th century. 

5/3 - First Friday Town Party in Wailuku.

5/4 - 24th Annual Maui Onion Festival at Whaler's Village. Food event with recipe contests, chef demos, special dinner in celebration of the sweet Maui onion. 

5/4 - Paddle Imua benefit race to help children with special needs. 

5/4 - Haiku Ho'olaulea Star Light Star Bright Soiree, benefit to kick off the Haiku Elementary School Foundation. 

5/5 - Cinco de Mayo Fundraiser for Lahainaluna High School. This fundraiser by Cilantro Grill will support their school garden. 


5/10 - Maui Matsuri Festival begins - a popular festival on Maui highlighting Japanese culture (My mistake, had it listed originally for 5/3 - although there was a kick-off event 5/3 at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center.) Some films aired on Friday, 5/10. Saturday 5/11 features live entertainment, bon dancing, food booths, judo and aikido demonstrations and costume contest. 

5/10 - Second Friday Town Party in Lahaina.

5/11 - 40th Annual Seabury Hall Craft Fair. The most prestigious private school on Maui hosts its hugely popular annual craft fair, which is always the Saturday before Mother's Day. Often considered to be the best craft fair on the island. 

5/11 - Hana Spring Harvest Dinner at Travaasa Hana to benefit the Hana Youth Center. The twitter hashtag is #hanaharvest. 

5/14 - Maui's First DishCrawl Event, in Lahaina. A foodie adventure to visit four restaurants, while exploring Lahaina. It's also a guessing game, since three restaurants are being kept secret until the event starts.

5/17 - Third Friday Town Party in Makawao.

5/18 - Maui Brewer's Festival. This is a more recent event on Maui, perhaps only in its 3rd or 4th year, but popular. Featuring craft beers made in Hawaii and beyond. Along with beer, there are appetizers from 20+ restaurants and popular food trucks. 

5/22 - Upcountry Food and Farm Night - Kula Community Association. Potluck, food samples and host of agricultural presenters on farming land trusts, soil fertility, water issues. Free, open to the public. 

5/24 - 5/25 44th Annual Barrio Fiesta at the War Memorial Stadium. This popular Filipino cultural festival starts Friday at 5 pm with a coronation for Miss Barrio Fiesta and continues from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturday.

5/24 - Maui Solar Summit at the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) in Kahului. 11:30 am to 1 pm. Local experts will discuss solar issues on Maui. 

5/24 - Labyrinth Walk at the Sacred Garden of Maliko. Owner Eve Hogan does a short talk followed by a meditative walk under a full moon.

5/24 - Fourth Friday Town Party in Kihei.

5/24 - Institute for Astronomy on Maui: Presentation on Hawaiians and Astronomy at 6:30 pm. The event will also be streamed live. 

5/25 - Fruit Tree Orchard Design and Care. Two very experienced farmers are running this all-day workshop in Haiku. They are both good speakers and know their stuff. If you have fruit trees and  want to have more and better fruit, this is your workshop. 

5/25 - March Against Monsanto Maui. Part of an international rally protesting Monsanto, the Maui group will march at 11 am from the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku.

5/25 - Buddha's Birthday Celebration and Offering of 108 Lotus Lights. Free event at the Maui Dharma Center in Paia. 

5/27 - Eat Play Work! Day - A community building event on Maui hosted by the Association of Maui Intentional Communities. To be held in Makawao on Memorial Day. There is no information  about the event on the website, so click on the "contact us" button on the AMIC site to email Paul. 

5/28 - Maui Farmers Union Meeting and Potluck. Open to the potluck. Free. Speakers include chef's demo by Makena Resort's Chef, info on pests, and a popular astronomy and cycles of light presentation. 

5/28 - The Digital Media Revolution talk hosted by Maui Business Brainstormers, featuring Mark Glaser. 4-6:30 pm. Wailea. 

5/29 - Maui SMUG (Social Media Users Group) in Kihei, 4-6pm or so, with a meetup afterwards at Three's Grill. 

For more event listings, check out Calendar Maui, Flyers Up or Maui Time's event listing.