KILAUEA — The North Shore steps into Christmas today as two Kilauea event organizers kick off their holiday programming schedules with virtual and in-person concerts.
Local nonprofit Kaulana Kilauea’s Seventh annual Kilauea Christmas concert begins at 5 p.m.
The popular show, which drew hundreds of attendees when previously held in-person, will be live-streamed online for the second year running, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kilauea Social Club and Kupaoa return as this year’s featured bands.
“The Kilauea Social Club is awesome,” concert founder Lihau Paik said in a recent interview. “They’re all these aunties and uncles. They get together every week to jam.”
Paik and husband Kellen make up Kupaoa.
Attendees can expect the Social Club and the Paiks to perform a mix of classic Christmas songs and material from their 2015 album “Gift of the Heart,” which won Christmas Album of the Year at the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts’ 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.
“It’s all acoustic stuff,” Lihau Paik said. “Guitar, bass and ukulele.”
Attendees can tune into Kilauea Christmas on the Kaulana Kilauea Facebook page and at kaulanakilauea.org.
The concert’s live-stream is projected to conclude between 6:30 and 7 p.m., but will be archived for later viewing.
Also today, Grammy and Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning artist John Cruz will kick off the holidays at Anaina Hou Community Park with two in-person concerts.
Cruz will perform a free show for keiki at 11 a.m. at the weekly Anaina Hou farmers’ market. Later in the day, he’ll deliver a paid concert inspired by his latest single, “It’s Time to Build a Bridge,” released yesterday.
“The song, composed by John and his long-time writing partner Mark Herschler, recognizes the power of empathy and finding common ground while calling out the human spirit that uplifts us all,” a press release states. “It’s a positive message especially relevant for the holiday season.”
Doors open at the park’s Porter Pavilion at 5 p.m. The show begins at 6 p.m.
Pavilion seating is $50 and lawn seating is $40. Tickets may be purchased at anainahou.org.
Three days of Christmas
Holiday events at Anaina Hou continue on Thursday, Dec. 16, when ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and his guests debut Shimabukuro’s holiday show, Christmas in Hawai‘i.
Anaina Hou organizers hope to make Shimabukuro’s Christmas concert a yearly event. This year’s show will include both holiday classics and selections from Shimabukuro’s November 2021 album “Jake &Friends,” which features artists including Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson and others.
Doors open at the pavilion at 5 p.m. Only $40 lawn-seating tickets were available for purchase at press time.
Kaulana Kilauea will hold two events simultaneously on Friday, Dec. 17, when Santa Claus and his caroling sleigh ride through Kilauea town from 5 to 7 p.m..
A map of the jolly old man’s planned route can be viewed at kaulanakilauea.org/events.
Kaulana Kilauea board members will take time to judge homes’ Christmas decorations during Santa’s visit. The top three most-festive houses will be awarded prizes, as winners of the nonprofit’s Home for the Holidays lights and decoration contest.
Finally, on Saturday, Dec. 18, Santa Claus will visit the Anaina Hou farmers’ market for free photo opportunities.
The line for pictures with Santa opens at 10:30 a.m. on the Porter Pavilion lawn. Pictures will be taken from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Masks are required.
“It’s our hope that between the keiki concert with John Cruz, a holiday show with Jake Shimabukuro and free pictures with Santa, there’s some sort of holiday activity for everybody’s enjoyment,” Anaina Hou Operations Director Ben Karon said.
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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
