By Petra Wiesenbauer
I hope you all have been enjoying your summer with lots of activities and fun. For the families with children in DOE and Charter Schools, August 4 is the beginning of the new school year (please check your child’s school for specific details). This means that daily schedules and rhythms are going back to more structured routines. After all the summer’s freedom and leisure, it is always a little of a transition period for everyone. August 21 is Statehood Day: schools and all State offices will be closed, as well as some of the businesses.
The 2026 primary elections are in full swing. Everyone who is registered to vote has received their ballots. Candidates have been busy presenting their ideas and priorities at different events and with their campaign activities. You will see many of them sign-waving along our roads. For Puna County Council candidates, we have Shannon “Smiley” Burrows, Lloyd Enriquez, Cyd Hoffeld and Eileen O’Hara. Voters will also have to decide who will be their representative in the state house and in Congress. For Puna and Hilo, we will also decide who our state senator will be. The primary takes place on August 8, and the general election will be held on Nov. 3. Please register to vote if you are not registered yet: https://www.elections.hawaiicounty.gov/voter-registration. You can also go to the Hilo County Building polling place (25 Aupuni Street, Hilo) on August 8 – the day of the Primary – register and vote the same day up until 7 pm.
Throughout the month, our community of local artists, practitioners, food lovers and musicians are sharing their talents and offerings with you to find joy, connection and creative resources.
Malama Pono – may you all be well and enjoy the festivities, activities and events of this month!
The Red Road Art Tour Application is NOW OPEN! (Submit by August 31)
Calling all artists! The official application for this year’s first Red Road Art Tour is open July 15 through August 31. Click here to apply: www.redroadarttour.com/join-us. If you filled out the Interest Form, thank you! That form helped to gauge interest, but it was not the official application. Be sure to submit your application to be considered for this year’s first studio tour. Before you begin, have 5-10 sample images of your artwork ready and plan to set aside enough time to complete your application thoughtfully, as this is a juried process. Applications close August 31, and artists will be notified by September 8.
The Crafty Raccoon Art House
The Crafty Raccoon Art House is very excited to announce the next installment of their Recycle/Reuse Series at the Crafty Raccoon Art House: Puppet Creation! Transform everyday recyclables, fabric scraps, and forgotten treasures into your very own custom character. Over this 4-week course, you will dive into the art of designing, building, and sewing a unique puppet from scratch. The class will be held every Wednesday for 4 weeks, starting July 22. At the end of our 4th class (August 12th), everyone will put on a live puppet show for friends and family to showcase your creations in action! Whether you’re looking to learn basic sewing skills, flex your creative muscles, or just give some old cardboard a second life, this series is for you. Spaces are limited. To sign up, go to their website www.craftyracoon.com. There is also space to do your own projects using the Raccoon’s resources, with guidance available from studio artists. The staff is super friendly and welcoming. For all their weekly classes, you can make reservations through their website or in person (www.craftyraccoon.com). The shop features a coffee bar with reasonable prices and is open Mon-Fri 11 am-6 pm, Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm. Follow their FB page for their regular updates.
Pahoa Night Market – Live Music, Food & Vendors
The Pahoa Friday Night Market in Pahoa at the old Luquin’s/Akebono location has continued to bring live music, great food trucks, market vendors, and a restricted area where alcoholic beverages are served. It is open from 3 pm to 8 pm every Friday and Saturday. Friday, July 31 will feature The Thrash-O-Matrix, live rock ‘ n ‘ roll. Proceeds/donations will benefit Rescue Animal efforts. Come out and support your local favorites and help animal rescue resources! For more events and activities, follow the FB page for the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum for their event schedule.
Arts & Science Center (HAAS)
The Arts & Sciences Center (ASC) of Pāhoa – home to HAAS Public Charter School – is gearing up to kick off the new school year with another season of Beyond School Clubs! These clubs will begin in August with American Sign Language (ASL), Anime, STEAM: Art in Nature, MATHCOUNTS, Academic Support, and Financial Literacy! Visit hiasc.org and sign up for ASC’s newsletter to stay updated on registration and other ways to get involved. To learn more about the clubs and register, please follow the link: https://www.hiasc.org/clubs. ASC is also excited to announce that the STEAM-CON event canceled during the March 2026 storms will now be taking place on Saturday, September 16! STEAM-CON is a celebration of the people, ideas, skills, and discoveries that make our community extraordinary. If your work inspires curiosity, solves problems, preserves culture, builds resilience, we’d love to engage with you. That could include artists, researchers, engineers, educators, cultural practitioners, farmers… or anyone doing fascinating, hands-on, place-based work or offering opportunities to folks in Puna. Get in touch with us, email Jillian at [email protected] with your ideas!
Volcano Art Center in the Park – Aloha Fridays
Aloha Friday cultural demonstrations are held each week (August 7, 14, 21, 28) from 11 am – 1 pm on the porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Activities include lei making, botanical printing, ukulele instruction, and lauhala weaving. Topics occur on a rotating schedule. All supplies are provided. These free cultural events are supported in part by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Although these cultural events are free, donations are appreciated, and park entrance fees do apply. Call 808-967-7565 or email [email protected] for more detailed information. https://volcanoartcenter.org/events/aloha-friday-cultural-activities-2/2026-04-24/
The Volcano Art Center invites you to attend Brought by Canoe: That Which Sustains Us, a fine art exhibition featuring Heidi Fickinger & Heather Mettler. The exhibit will be on display from August 1st through September 27th, 9 AM-5 PM daily at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`I Volcanoes National Park. While the exhibit is free, park entrance fees apply.
Big Island Meadery in Keaau – Sip & Paint – August 7
Big Island Meadery – our first meadery on the Big Island making mead (honey wine) from their own honey. Big Island Meadery offers an acrylic art class on August 7 at 5-7 pm with Ioana. Supplies and a flight of mead are included in the $45 fee. More event details are available, and tickets can be booked at www.bigislandmeadery.com. They are open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 am – 6 pm. For the month of August, the Meadery has a delicious variety of the following food vendors (flyer for details), adding their special touch.
Lion’s Gate Painting Portals – August 8
This earth-based ritual container, which aligns with the Lions Gate portal, includes an Intuitive Channeled Shamanic Art & Sound Journey, Heart-Based Community Connection/Integration, Community Potluck, as well as a Fire Ritual & an Intentional Ecstatic Dance—all held in beautiful nature. $44 for 7 hours of deeply rooted, playful, heartful, emergent earth-based practice in a safe & loving container held by Alicia Sunflower at the Sunshine Sacred Sanctuary. August 8 from 2-9 pm. Admission $44, Kanaka free, $22 BIPOC/Keiki. Please DM @thealiciasunflower to RSVP (see flyer).
Pig Butchery Workshop – August 9
Join at Eden Farms on Sunday, July 12 from 9:30 am-2:00 pm in Kurtistown for a hands-on butchering workshop. Learn how to harvest a pig with respect, explore regenerative animal management, and take home freshly butchered free-range pork, all while taking a step closer to local food security in our community. Register at https://bit.ly/PigButcheryAug9. Fee: $25 cash at the event; must arrive by 9:00 am. Limited to 30 spots.
Mālama nā Kūpuna – August 14
Rooted in the rich cultural soil of Hawai‘i Island, Mālama nā Kūpuna farm-to-table program fosters connections among the kūpuna and the larger community through monthly gatherings. Their next event will be on Saturday, August 14, from 10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Leilani Estates Pavilion at 13-3441 Moku St, Pahoa. This event is for Leilani Estates residents only. RSVP by August 10; contact: Petronilla – (808) 493-5369.
Puna Regenerative Exchange (Ongoing)
The Puna Regenerative Exchange is being built to help residents connect around the resources that already exist here. Skills, food, tools, land, knowledge, and the kind of neighbor-to-neighbor support that has always been part of life in Puna. As the exchange grows, we may explore alternative currency and time-exchange possibilities. A future where more of what Puna produces stays in Puna. The goal right now is to see what we already have. Once we can see it, we can start building around it together. This is for you if you live in Puna: You may have something to offer, or you need something, or both. You do not need a formal business. You do not need to be ready. Just tell us what is true right now. You do not need to know exactly where you fit. Just begin by telling us what is true.
Three simple steps: No applications. No gatekeeping. Fill out the form, and our team starts looking for connections. (1) Share Your Gifts: Tell us what skills, tools, land, knowledge, or time you are willing to share. Formal or informal. Big or small. (2) Name Your Wants: Let us know what you need, want to learn, or are looking for. From practical help to collaborators to local goods. (3) We Connect the Dots: Puna Rising Ohana looks for patterns, possible matches, training needs, and opportunities that want to take shape. Here is the questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXeI-KC8ovwSQeJK0NxUUvskhItn-vD42hNPypTR1X-yCpqw/viewform
Social Service Navigators
Vibrant Hawaii community-based navigators are available to support and help to connect our residents with much-needed social services, including applications for SNAP, MedQuest, financial empowerment centers, emergency rental assistance, employment assistance, childcare services, domestic violence support, family support services, kupuna assistance, etc. Genevieve DeRego, social service navigator for our community, is available at the Pahoa Library on Mondays from 12 -4 pm and on Thursdays from 1- 4 pm. This month, during her vacation, Summer, who works for the Food Basket, will be at the Pahoa Library on Monday, July 27 from 1- 4 pm to kokua our community with SNAP & Da Bux’s application support face to face. Her contact number is 808-796-0132. Genevieve will be back by August 5, and her contact information is on the flyer.
Puna Rising Youth Career Fair
This event will take place at the Arts& Science Center (HAAS campus) on August 15 from 11 am-2 pm. This event is built for two groups: young people who want to explore what is possible, and businesses that want to invest in Puna’s next generation. This event is part of a larger effort to reverse a pattern that has been taking hold for decades. Our young people deserve to build their futures here.
Youth ages 14 to 19 who are curious about what jobs and careers exist locally, looking for a first job or apprenticeship, wanting to meet people who can open doors, not sure where to start…attending is free, no experience required.
Local businesses of any size who want to meet motivated young people, have jobs, apprenticeships, or internships to offer, want to share what skills they look for in a hire, are committed to keeping talent in East Hawaiʻi….Table hosting is free to participate
For more information and registration, please go to the Puna Rising website and follow this link: https://punarising.com/youthcareerfair/
Maker’s Market
(August 16, 12-5 pm, at The Stables, 15-859 Kahakai Blvd, Hawaiian Shores)
This time the market will also feature the Big Island Blue Grass Jam from 1-4 pm. Bring your acoustic stringed instruments, your favorite picking chair, food and/or drink, and friends to cheer you on and enjoy the music. Beginners are welcome!
All the products and wares are handcrafted, cooked or grown, caught or harvested, produced and offered by local Makers, Growers and Doers. SNAP/EBT is accepted. More details can be gathered at httpw://MakersMarketHui.com.
Pahoa Obon Festival – August 29
Have you been to a Bon Dance before? Every summer, Hongwanji temples across the islands open their gates for Obon — a time to dance, remember, eat good food, and honor those who came before us. For us, here on the Big Island, the amazing Puna Taiko Drummers are part of this celebration! You don’t have to be Buddhist. You just have to show up. The Pāhoa bon dance is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Pāhoa Kaikan.
Rozette’s Nursery (Saturday Market every Saturday, 9 am-1 pm)
This market offers vendors with local products, crafts, food, and coffee at Rozette’s Nursery on Kaloli & 28th in HPP.
Farmer’s Markets
Maku’u Farmer’s Market: Sundays 7:30 am – 2:00 pm, https://tendingourroots.org/story/makuu-farmers-market/.
Kaimu Farmer’s Market: Saturdays 8:00 am – Noon, Kaimu Beach Park
Volcano Farmers Market: Thursdays 3 – 6 pm & Sundays 6 am – 10 am, Cooper Center, 19-4030 Wright Road, Volcano Village
Petra Wiesenbauer
Petra grew up in Bavaria, Germany, and came to Oahu in 1997. She has lived in the Puna area for the last 27 years. Petra has worked in banking, non-profit social services, as an innkeeper, and business consultant & grant writer. She now has a private practice in Pahoa, where she sees clients as a Marriage & Family Therapist in person and via telehealth. She is the admin for the Pahoa Community Resources Facebook page, promoting information and resources that may be of interest to the residents of our Puna area.
Petra believes in strengthening communities, positive and constructive communication, collaboratively coming together as a community, developing resources to resolve issues, and promoting a spirit of respect, dignity, equality, and forward movement.
She loves the outdoors, spends much time in her garden, walking along the Puna cliffs, and hiking in the National Park. She is interested in the arts and culture, reading, and writing. She likes to travel and hang out with friends and family. She enjoys life, music, and community events and is an integral part of the Pahoa community.