7 Reasons to Get Out

March 31, 2009

Tiffany Hill,

Jam With the Can
Apr. 25

Too much Spam is never a bad thing. Celebrate your love of the canned meat at the seventh annual Waikiki Spam Jam. This street festival is all about Spam, Spam and more Spam — with a side of live entertainment and local crafters. Benefits the Hawaii Food Bank. Visit www.spamjamhawaii.com.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WAIKIKI SPAM JAM

Spring Ahead to the Movies
Apr. 3-9

Head to the Dole Cannery Theaters for the 12th annual Spring HIFF showcase, featuring 20 to 25 films from Asian, Pacific Islander and local filmmakers. Each season, HIFF programmers view hundreds of films and documentaries and choose a diverse mix that showcases culture, social issues and unique story lines. For tickets, call 550-8457.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Apr. 11

Learn about recycling and sustainability, climate change and the human body at the fifth annual Mad About Science exhibit at the Bishop Museum. The event features demonstrations from NOAA, the U.H. Institute of Astronomy, entomology and marine biology booths, and behind-the-scenes tours of the natural sciences collections. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., $3 local and military admission. Call 848-3511.

Get Animated
Apr. 10-12

Calling all anime fanatics. The fifth annual Kawaii Kon—for those who don’t know, it’s the state’s anime convention and conference—is back in town at the Hawaii Convention Center. It’s two days of video games, anime and manga guest panels, karaoke and a wide selection of books in the manga library. Visit www.kawaii-kon.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Kawaii Kon

Sea Art
Apr. 18

Head to the Hawaii Superferry terminal in support of The Contemporary Museum’s annual fundraiser gala, ConTempo 2009. The event originally included a cruise on the Superferry, but the fun will now take place on land. Dinner provided by Chai’s Island Bistro, an art show, a silent auction and dancing and live entertainment are all included. $500 per person. Call Gordon Wong at 237-5210 for more information and reservations.

Hug a Tree
Apr. 22

Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up your nearest beach, commuting to work on a bike, buying locally grown produce at the grocery store or recycling your plastic soda bottles.

Photo: istock

Pound Poi
Apr. 25-28

If you’re on Maui this weekend, be sure to check out the 17th annual East Maui Taro Festival. All about Hawaii’s traditional staple food, taro, or kalo, the festival features 20 food booths, with kalo as the main ingredient of each dish. You can even pound your own kalo into poi. Local musicians, a hula halau and an agriculture tent with a popular farmers’ market will be present, too. Visit www.tarofestival.org, or call 808-264-1553.

This article appears in the April 2009 issue of HONOLULU Magazine.