By Aero Coomer
Aloha Folks, and welcome to the latest update on the events happening here in lovely Puna. Despite many friends, family, and neighbours out visiting the world, the show must still go on here! We have still found a great collection to showcase for you, hoping you choose to weave yourself into our ever-evolving social fabric.
I want to emphasize that gathering places in our area represent the confluence of some of our most fundamental social necessities. These spaces serve as the vital organs of community living – pumping social, economic, and cultural lifeblood through the body of our societal structure. At their core, these communal spaces address a basic human need for connection and exchange that transcends mere commerce.
The agora of ancient Athens wasn’t just a marketplace but the birthplace of democracy, where citizens gathered to debate, philosophize, and shape their collective future. Similarly, the medieval town square served as a market, theater, courthouse, and social hub, news reports, and much more. This is where relationships are found and forged!
At the start of August, we have a celebration, which is going on across all the islands. It is called the Obon Festival, and it has many celebrations over many months. A few free Obons are happening in Puna, one at the Kurtistown Jodo Mission on August 2nd. Typically, these events start at 7pm and go until 10pm.
The Obon Festival is one of Japan’s most significant and cherished traditions, a Buddhist-influenced ceremony that honors our deceased ancestors and ponders our continuity between life and death. It is not a sad time to remember our ancestral lineage–it is a time to rejoice and be happy that they existed and continue to affect our lives.
The ceremony’s roots trace back to a Buddhist legend, which tells of a monk who discovered his deceased mother suffering in the realm of “Hungry Ghosts”. Through offerings and prayers, he was able to liberate her spirit, establishing a way to honor and care for ancestral souls. As Buddhism blended with existing Japanese spiritual practices, Obon grew into a uniquely Japanese expression of joyous remembrance.
The ritual begins with families meticulously cleaning their homes, altars, and ancestral areas. Graves are visited, cleaned, and adorned with flowers and offerings. Families prepare elaborate meals featuring the deceased’s favorite foods, believing that ancestors partake in these offerings spiritually. The atmosphere is not one of mourning but of joyful reunion. Families gather to share stories, prepare traditional foods together, and maintain connections across generations.
Central to many Obon celebrations is the Bon Odori, or Bon dance, performed in circles around a raised platform called a yagura. Each region has its own distinctive dance styles and music, making Obon a celebration of both family and local identity.
At its essence, Obon embodies the Buddhist understanding that death is not an endpoint but a transition, and that the bonds between family members transcend physical existence. It reflects the Japanese concept of continuity between past, present, and future generations, emphasizing that honoring ancestors is not just remembrance but an active relationship that guides and sustains the living. This ceremony beautifully illustrates how spiritual practice can strengthen community ties while providing comfort and meaning in the face of human mortality.
The next upcoming event happens the first Saturday of every month, at the VFW post in Nanawale, 15-775 Maluhia Rd, Pahoa, HI. For only $10 a person, enjoy a chili dinner and a game of bingo from 6pm to 8:30pm.
Every Thursday night at Koas Lounge in downtown Pahoa, 15-2929 Pahoa Village Rd, is a karaoke party. Get ready to sing your heart out! Whether you’re a shower singer or a stage superstar, this is your time to shine. No cover charge for this event. So grab your friends, pick your go-to song, and let’s make some memories! See you this Thursday from 6 PM – 9 PM!
Another regular event every Tuesday is salsa dancing. Salsa lessons every Tuesday at 6:30 with Beata Mambita. Beata has experience dancing, performing and teaching all over the world. She will get you on the dance floor in no time! Singles: $15 drop-in or $50 for 4 classes. Couples: $25 drop-in or $80 for 4 classes. Event by Salsa Nights East Hawaii hosted at 14-3761 Kapoho Road near Pahoa.
On Saturday, August 9th, is a full moon celebration at the newly formed Black Rock Amphitheater near Kalapana; technically the address is 12-4901 Kaimu Chain of Craters Rd, Pahoa. We activate our inner pharmacies with the ancient medicine of music, dance, community, and epic surroundings. Featuring Chris Berry and the Bana Kuma Wisdrum Band. More info including suggested donation, other artists, and more to come. RSVP to receive updates.
The final event I will be making note of is, believe-it-or-not, the 10-year celebration of the Pahoa Artwalk! Artwalks are near and dear to my heart, for as I’ve traveled the states, I’ve seen some incredible talent. Numerous towns and cities have created and expanded and showcased some impresssive acts and performances. Many times these events hit close to my heart, home, and soul, something about community that is hard to get elsewhere- thus I will always be a huge supporter of these arts and community gatherings and events.
As of today, the Artwalk was started 9.9 years ago here in Pahoa, and has only grown since. Despite a brief hiatus when the lockdown happened, the pARTy is still going strong! Happening from Island Naturals down to the Veli, numerous bands and musicians will be taking the stage from 5 to 9 pm at about 10 different downtown locations. Taste of Puna vendors will be out there after 3pm, and a fun scavenger hunt with awards also takes place. So get there early and spend a little time talking story and figuring out the clues that can lead to prizes from many of the venues.
Let’s rejoice that we still have a community and downtown, and recognize how incredibly difficult it is to keep something functioning and open out here in the land of Puna. Cheers to you all!
Aero Coomer
Aero grew up in a log cabin in the thick Wisconsin woods and has never been able to shake the Wilderness from his Soul.
A decades-long forager and wildcrafter, from Portland to Arcata to San Francisco, he supplied many grocery stores, restaurants, & farmers’ markets with gourmet mushrooms.
In the last decade, medicinal mushrooms and plants such as reishi, chaga, and lion's mane have taken a focal point in his life for his healing process, so he started Old Growth Organics, as he continually refines and creates some of the cleanest and most potent medicinal mushroom and la’au lapa’au products around. Find him at the farmers market just giving away the best Chaga Chai you have ever tried.
20-year master gardener, blue ribbon flower grower, with the knowledge to create diverse & specific compost teas. Highly attuned to the Moon and Elementals, he used his visionary artist skills to channel a new Planetary Moon Calendar, amongst other agricultural inventions. Here in Hawai'i, he has spent time as a teacher and permaculture facilitator at the Hawaiian Sanctuary.
Long-term volunteer of many issues of social justice, family and human rights, environmental rights, indigenous rights, food sovereignty, and community solidarity- here to continue the mission of bringing health & happiness to the world – starting with the Ohana gathered here.
Only eight years here in Puna so far, but here to stay, the love of Malama Aina has touched the core of his being, along with the Spirit of Aloha. 600 coconut trees deep, he prefers to spend his free time planting food forests for the future.