Uncle Robert’s Wednesday Night Gathering — Revisited

By Ekahi Aloha Dale Michaels

Kaimū Saturday Open Market — Moving to a New Location

A change is coming to the Saturday Kaimū Open Market. Saturday, August 22, the weekly market, operating from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon, will no longer be held at its longtime location up on the lava.   The time remains the same. The Uncle Robert’s ʻohana has moved the Saturday market down into the familiar gathering space where the Wednesday night music gathering takes place each week.It’s a new setting for a longtime Kaimū tradition — and a fitting segue into our look at the living heart of Uncle Robert’s and the community that continues to gather there. 

Many of the regular vendors were there, and we expect an even healthier turnout as the community adjusts to the shift. This past Saturday’s reopening was super fun as people were starting to re-emerge after a tumultuous week post-Hurricane La La.    There was “live music” from the Kaimu Awa Band, Elele Tiana, and many others.    

Other bonuses of the new location are that it is under cover from the wind and rain, and there are picnic tables to sit at, eat, and talk story.   

A Living Celebration of Music, Food, ʻOhana, and Aloha

As twilight settles over Kaimū each Wednesday evening, a familiar transformation begins. The lights come on. Music drifts through the warm tropical air. Friends greet one another with hugs and laughter. Children weave through the crowd while the aroma of fresh island food mingles with the scent of the ocean carried on the trade winds.

Locals, visitors, musicians, artists, vendors, kupuna, keiki, and families all find their way to one remarkable place. For many, it’s known simply as Uncle Robert’s. To first-time visitors, it may appear to be a lively weekly market. But those who return again and again know it is something much deeper.

It is a place where community is nourished. Where music brings people together. Where aloha is shared as naturally as conversation. And where the legacy of Uncle Robert (Robert Poʻokapu Keliʻihoʻomalu Sr.) lives on through the people who gather there every Wednesday night.

[VIDEO 1 – Kalapana ʻAwa Band.]

A Legacy That Lives On

For decades, Uncle Robert welcomed everyone with open arms. His Wednesday night gathering became far more than a market. It evolved into a beloved Lower Puna tradition in which local families, visitors from around the world, musicians, artisans, and food vendors came together in an atmosphere unlike any other in Hawaiʻi.

Since Uncle Robert’s passing in 2021, his children and extended family have lovingly continued that tradition, preserving not only the event itself but the welcoming spirit that made it so special.

Certain aspects have changed, yet its heart remains unmistakably the same.  There used to be 700-800 people cycling through on a typical Wednesday night, with more food vendors and a wider variety of crafts.   It’s morphed into a more intimate, low-key extended family gathering.  

Entering Through the Kaimū ʻAwa Bar

Before entering the main gathering area—with its food vendors, rustic picnic tables, dance floor, and music stage—visitors pass the Kaimū ʻAwa Bar. A sign overhead reads: Hale Lāʻau Lapaʻau, House of Herbal Healing. The words offer a fitting introduction to the evening.

ʻAwa (Piper methysticum), known throughout Polynesia as kava, was brought to Hawaiʻi by the early voyaging Polynesians and has long held an honored place in Hawaiian culture. Traditionally shared during ceremonies, important gatherings, and times of peace, ʻawa has been valued for its ability to encourage calm, reflection, respectful conversation, and connection. Its distinctive earthy flavor and gentle numbing sensation have become familiar to generations who continue this ancient tradition.

Today the Kaimū ʻAwa Bar remains a gathering place within the gathering itself—a welcoming space where conversations begin, friendships deepen, and visitors experience another layer of Hawaiian culture.

A Feast for Every Appetite

One of the great pleasures of Wednesday night is simply wandering through the grounds, discovering the remarkable variety of local food. Every vendor adds another chapter to the evening.

Aloha Lava Pizza

One of the first stops is Aloha Lava Pizza, owned by Brian. He brings generations of East Coast pizza-making tradition to Kalapana while adding his own island touch. Using premium European flour, carefully selected ingredients, and family recipes handed down over decades, he creates handcrafted pizzas that have earned an enthusiastic following. His passion for quality is evident in every slice.

Smoothie Shack at Kalapana

Nearby, Ashley Girard and Molly welcome customers to the Smoothie Shack at Kalapana. Their colorful menu includes tropical smoothies, açaí and pitaya bowls, milkshakes, ice cream, sorbet, bagels, Big Island Booch Kombucha, Jun, and refreshing drinks that perfectly complement a warm Hawaiian evening. Their cheerful spirit is every bit as refreshing as what they serve.

Jay Satay

Just beyond is Jay Satay, where Jason Twillman prepares an impressive selection of flavorful skewers featuring local and international influences. Favorites include locally raised paniolo beef, huli huli chicken, lamb kofta, Mexican street corn polenta, and beautifully prepared local ahi with wasabi aioli. Every dish reflects Jason’s creativity and commitment to quality.

Wow Lau Lau

Another longtime favorite is Wow Lau Lau, operated by Bri and Ioane. Their menu celebrates traditional Hawaiian cuisine prepared with care and respect for local traditions.

When asked what keeps her coming back each week, Bri smiles as she speaks not only about the food but about the people. The friendships. The music. The sense of belonging. Like so many vendors, she isn’t simply serving meals. She’s helping nourish a community.

MaryMade Kombucha

Across the way is MaryMade Kombucha. Mary’s triple-fermented kombucha has become a Wednesday night favorite, and visitors eagerly sample her newest creations.

She also creates beautiful handcrafted jewelry and bakes delicious ginger cookies that have developed quite a following of their own. Like so many people at Uncle Robert’s, Mary’s warmth leaves as lasting an impression as her products.

Music: The Heartbeat of the Evening

While the food draws people through the gate, music is what brings everyone together. As the evening unfolds, the dance floor fills. Couples dance. Children dance. Visitors who have never met before dance together. Laughter replaces hesitation. Smiles become contagious.

The soundtrack for much of the evening comes from the Kalapana ʻAwa Band, featuring brothers Sam Keliʻihoʻomalu and Robert Keliʻihoʻomalu Jr., together with cousin Glenwood Tolentino. The band is often joined by legendary slack-key guitarist Ledward Kaʻapana, whose deep family and community ties to Kalapana make his appearances especially meaningful.

Other talented local musicians also perform throughout the evening, each contributing to the vibrant spirit that has always defined Wednesday nights.

Throughout the evening, other local bands keep the music flowing, each bringing its own style while contributing to the welcoming atmosphere that has made Wednesday nights so memorable.

[VIDEO 7 – down house]  

Music here is more than entertainment. It is the heartbeat of the gathering.

Voices of the Community

One of the greatest gifts of preparing this article was hearing from the people who know Uncle Robert’s best.

Angel Olmsted summed it up beautifully.

[VIDEO 6 – Angel Olmsted shares what Uncle Robert’s means to her and why the gathering is so special to the community.]

“It’s just fun to see all your friends having fun. Everybody’s smiling and laughing, and it’s just a great time.”

Angel also reflected on the deeper role Uncle Robert’s has played during times of volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and community emergencies—a place where people came together to find food, water, information, and support when they needed it most.

Hope Johnson spoke of the joy she experiences every Wednesday evening. For her, Uncle Robert’s represents what aloha looks like in action—a place where people of every background are welcomed and embraced.

Aunty Emily Naʻaole shared another perspective. She comes because she loves to dance. She treasures seeing people from all over the world gathering together with kindness and respect. For her, the spirit of aloha is not merely a phrase. It is something that can be felt.

Again and again, people described the same qualities: Connection, Acceptance, Joy, Community.

Aunty Emily Naʻaole has been coming to Uncle Robert’s for many years, drawn first by her love of dancing, but even more by the spirit that fills the grounds each Wednesday evening. As a relative of Uncle Robert, she has a deep connection to this place.

“The spirit of aloha is so powerful,” she shared. “I get to meet people from all over the place. It’s just love… aloha.”

For Aunty Emily, Wednesday nights are about far more than music and dancing. They are about welcoming people, celebrating community, and sharing the warmth that has always defined Uncle Robert’s gathering.

The Family Behind the Gathering

Behind the scenes, the Keliʻihoʻomalu ʻohana continues to carry Uncle Robert’s vision forward. At Uncle Robert’s Bar, portraits honor both Uncle Robert and his beloved son Pono.

Speaking with Uncle Robert’s youngest daughter, Princess Kuahine Nui, she smiled and introduced herself with characteristic warmth: “I’m Uncle Robert’s youngest kid. I’m number eleven out of eleven.” Today she manages the bar while continuing the family tradition of welcoming everyone who comes through the gates.She explained that family members, cousins, brothers, nephews, and friends all continue supporting the gathering because they believe in what it represents.Her words reflected both gratitude and hope.

While Wednesday nights have naturally evolved since the pandemic, the spirit remains alive.

Primo, Uncle Robert’s eighth child, quietly helps keep everything running—from maintenance to sound to countless behind-the-scenes tasks that make the evening possible.

Visitors may not always notice this work. But they certainly experience its results.

More Than a Wednesday Night Market

It would be easy to describe Uncle Robert’s as a market. There are wonderful vendors; Outstanding food, Live music, Handmade art, Fresh produce, and Island-made products.

But calling it only a market misses its true significance. It is a weekly reunion. A place where neighbors reconnect. Where visitors are welcomed as friends. Where music and food become expressions of aloha. Where generations gather side by side. And where the legacy of one remarkable Hawaiian man continues to touch lives long after his passing.

In a rapidly changing world, places like this have become increasingly rare. That may explain why people continue returning week after week, year after year. Not simply because they enjoy the food or the music. But because they leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.Perhaps that is Uncle Robert’s greatest gift. He created far more than a Wednesday night gathering. He created a place where community could flourish.

And every Wednesday evening in Kaimū, that gift continues to be shared.

“May the music continue, may the laughter endure, and may the spirit of aloha that Uncle Robert so generously shared continue to inspire all who pass through these gates.”