8 May Entertainment Picks in Hawaii

May is Hawaiian Music Month, but don’t forget about Spam popsicles, psychics and a dramatic tale of a Hawaiian outlaw.

Food

Waikiki Spam Jam

Photo: Hormel Foods Corp.
 

No, it’s not a community making jam out of Spam (but maybe that will make it on the schedule next year)—the Waikiki Spam Jam celebrates all things Spam with food trucks, merchandise, crafts and entertainment. (Fun fact: “Spam” came to mean junk mail because of a Monty Python sketch, in which every item in a diner unavoidably contained Spam.)  On the menu this year? Spam manapua, Spam yakisoba, Spam cupcakes …

Free, May 3, 4–10 p.m., Kalakaua Avenue, spamjamhawaii.com.
 

Sunnydogs recipe from spam.com

• Combine 1 ½ c. buttermilk pancake mix, 2 large eggs, ½ c. applesauce, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and ⅛ tsp. cinnamon; mix well.

• Slowly add ¼ c. of water and mix.

• Cut 1 12-oz. can of SPAM the short way into six pieces, then into thirds.

• Coat the Spam with batter.

• Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat, place Spam pieces in skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown.

• Insert Popsicle sticks and serve with honey, maple syrup or more applesauce. It’s like a Spam popsicle!

Fairs & Expos

9th Annual Hawaii Book & Music Festival

Photo: Nicholas Tomasello/HBMF
 

Bookworms, rejoice: Chris McKinney, Douglas Corleone, Kaui Hart Hemmings, Graham Salisbury, Connie Hale and many other authors will speak on panels and release new books at this festival, along with music and performances by major halau and renowned artists such as the Royal Hawaiian Band and Jeff Peterson.

Free, May 3–4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Honolulu Hale, hawaiibookandmusicfestival.com.
 

Fairs & Expos

Flores de Mayo Festival

Everybody knows what to do on Cinco de Mayo (gorge yourself on nachos and margaritas), but Flores de Mayo honors the Virgin Mary, with traditional Filipino food, games, cultural exhibits and live entertainment. The weeklong Flowers of May celebration culminates at the Honolulu Municipal Grounds with a fiesta and Santacruzan parade.

Free, May 10, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Honolulu Municipal Grounds, filcom.org.
 

education

Conference on Underwater Culture

Photo: NOAA ONMS
 

The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage focuses on preserving our sunken monuments, such as the USS Arizona. Now if only we could find Atlantis, that would be great.

$30–$250, May 12–16, UH Manoa, 694-3944, apconf.org.
 

Theater & Arts

The Legend of Koolau

This one-man historical drama is the story of Kaluaikoolau, an outlaw forced into exile by leprosy who fought to defend his rights and his family on Kauai after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Written by Gary T. Kubota, the play is currently touring the Islands and will be performed in Honolulu one night only.

$20-$25 , May 16, 7:30 p.m., Hawaii Theatre, hawaiitheatre.com.
 

charity

Hope Gala Honolulu

Photo: courtesy SJ Foundation
 

This year’s theme for the American Cancer Society’s annual event is “Midnight in Tokyo,” which means the gala should’ve been held at 5 a.m. Hawai‘i time, but we’ll let that slide for a good cause.

Tables for 10 start at $3,000, May 17, 5–9 p.m., Hawaii State Art Museum, hopegalahonolulu.org.

entertainment

Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience

Photo: Mills Entertainment
 

The Long Island Medium herself will give interactive readings to audience members and talk about her life communicating with the dead. Spooky or kooky?

$39.75 and up, May 29, 7:30 p.m., Blaisdell Concert Hall, ticketmaster.com.
 

music

Kani Pu Kolu

Photo: Pahinui Productions
 

Cyril Pahinui’s latest album, whose title means “three sounds together,” showcases Pahinui’s Hawaiian slack key guitar along with Jeff Au Hoy’s Hawaiian steel guitar and Peter Wook Moon’s ukulele. (Peter Wook Moon is the son of Peter Moon of Sunday Mānoa and Peter Moon Band fame.) Pahinui, son of slack key master Gabby Pahinui, will be honored with a Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award this month for his contribution to Hawaiian music. He’s continuing to share music across generations.

$15, Cyril Pahinui Pahinui Productions, 2014, cyrilpahinui.com.
 

Did you know? The founder of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, spent years fighting consumerism prompted by the holiday. She regretted ever having started it.