8 April Entertainment Picks in Hawaii

April may be Earth Month, but we’re celebrating the ocean and outer space, too.

Theater & Arts

HIFF Spring Showcase

When HIFF debuted in 1981 as a project of UH’s East-West Center, it had 5,000 attendees. Now, more than 70,000 people attend every year.

April 4–10, Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX, hiff.org.

Photo: Courtesy Bishop Museum

Fairs & Expos

Grow Hawaiian Festival

You know those toys that grow six times their original size when you soak them in water? That’s kind of how this works. The Grow Hawaiian Festival takes people and immerses them in native plants, crafts, foods, businesses and performances so that our local culture can grow exponentially. The festival includes access to the rest of the museum, too, so you can really soak it in.

Free for kamaaina and military, April 5, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Bishop Museum, hawaiianelectric.com/growhawaiian.
 

Hawaii Ocean Expo

The ocean surrounds Hawaii in a great, big hug—reciprocate by celebrating with ocean-related activities, exhibitions, education and entertainment. New this year are a Surfboard Graveyard swap meet, Mermaid Boutique and Seafood Lane, featuring everything from shrimp burgers to lobster rolls. Plus, old favorites return: a boat show, a surf sample sale, a poke contest, a fishing tournament and more.

$0–$8, April 5 and 6, Saturday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, hawaiioceanexpo.com.
 

education

UH Institute for Astronomy Open House

In January, a man filed a lawsuit against NASA for not properly investigating a jelly-doughnut-like rock on Mars, which mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, because he believed it was an alien life form. (Turns out, it was just a plain-flavored rock.) Explore the realities of science at IfA’s open house with bottle rockets, a Lego display, comet making, infrared demonstrations, and, if you’re lucky, maybe a jelly-doughnut-like face painting.

Free admission, April 6, 11 a.m.–4 p.m, Institute for Astronomy, ifa.hawaii.edu/open-house.
 

Charity

Relay for Life

Join the fight against cancer by donating toward UH’s $100,000 goal, or simply by showing your support at this all-night event. Everybody loves a good Mr. Relay competition, in which participants vie in a Miss-Universe-like pageant for the title (and modest prizes).

April 12–13, UH Manoa, Clarence T.C. Ching Field, relayuh.com.
 

Theater & arts

PechaKucha Night

Presenters show and tell about 20 images for 20 seconds each, inspired by this edition’s theme: Light. Think sunshine. Feathers. Coors.

Free, April 18, 7 p.m.–9 p.m., Honolulu Museum of Art School, pechakucha.org/cities/honolulu.
 

Entertainment

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award, in 2012, for making the world a better place.

$59–$125, April 29, 7:30 p.m., Blaisdell Arena, blaisdellcenter.com.
 

music

Sound Wave

You might know Makua Rothman as the son of surfer Eddie Rothman, founder of “Da Hui.” Or you might know him as a surfer himself, a big-wave rider and worldwide champ. But outside of the water, Rothman’s reputation as a musician is taking hold, with his first full-length album, Sound Wave, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s reggae chart, the iTunes reggae chart and the iTunes world chart. Get it now on iTunes and through Mountain Apple Co.

$12.98, Makua Rothman, Mountain Apple Co. 2014, mountainapplecompany.com/makua.
 

Did you know? Bermudans fly kites on Good Friday (April 18 this year) to symbolize Christ’s ascension into Heaven.