Weekend Round-Up: Makawao Friday, First Light, Starry Night

By Madeline Ziecker

THIRD FRIDAY MAKAWAO TOWN PARTY Friday, December 16 from 5 – 9 p.m. in Makawao Town. Free.

This month’s Makawao Third Friday theme is “Makawao Gives: A Hawaiian Holiday Party.”

Festivities will begin with the Paniolo Holiday Parade at 5 p.m., starting at Makawao School on Baldwin Ave. Some paraders will ride on horses, horse-drawn wagons and tractors while others will march down the closed street to Liquor Shack on Makawao Ave.

A blessing will be given at 6 p.m. on Makawao’s Center Stage at 3654 Baldwin Ave. by Reverend Kimberly Fong from Pookela Church in Makawao. After the blessing, KEPA will take the stage to kick off musical entertainment for the evening.

Food, activities, and special sales will be available throughout the evening at participating Makawao locations including: ON CORE Studio, Paragon Salon, Pink by Nature, Casanova, The Dragon’s Den, The Shops at Makawao, Viewpoints Gallery, The Dragon’s Den, Collections, Komoda Store, Garden Café, Makawao Fine Art and Wertheim Contemporary Galleries, Antique Boutique, Gecko Trading Co, Stopwatch Bar & Grill, Holiday and Co, The Mercantile, Maui Whole Child, and Makawao Yoga.

For details on several parking areas in Makawao Town, visit the Makawao Town Party website.

FIRST LIGHT FILM FESTIVAL WEEKEND SCHEDULE All tickets are $12 for single entry and $40 for a Fast Pass with four admissions. 

Maui Film Festival’s First Light is in full swing this weekend with 12 quality films being shown at the MACC at several different showtimes.

Friday, December 16

• 2 p.m. Hell And Back Again – Photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis portrays the devastation caused by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
• 4 p.m. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey – Kevin Clash, the voice of Sesame Street character “Elmo,” reveals the man behind the puppet.
• 6 p.m. My Reincarnation – The story of high Tibetan Buddhist Master, Choegyal Namkhai Norbu and his western-born son.
• 8 p.m. Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend – Lost footage of the legendary Bob Marley before he got famous.

Saturday, December 17

• 1 p.m. Kung Fu Panda 2 – The sequel to the beloved children’s movie Kung Fu Panda.
• 3 p.m. Declaration of War – A French film dealing with the struggles of a couple’s newfound parenthood with a sick baby.
• 5 p.m. Amigo – Set in the historic period of the Philippine-American War. A window into the personal struggles caused by the contact of both nationalities.
• 7:30 p.m. Blackthorn – Tells the story of Butch Cassidy’s hiding in a Bolivian village and his journey home thereafter.

Sunday, December 18

• 1 p.m. Puss in Boots – The beloved cat played by Antonio Banderas from the Shrek movies stars in his own feature film.
• 3 p.m. A Better Life – A multi-generational story about a father’s love and support for his child.
• 5 p.m. The Artist – A silent film and love story set in Hollywood, 1927.
• 7: 30 p.m. The Music Never Stopped – Based on Dr. Oliver Sacks’ case study of a boy with cerebral trauma who begins to heal through music therapy.

Tickets for all films listed above can be purchased at the MACC Box Office by calling 242-SHOW or online by visiting MauiArts.org.

Na Leo Lani O Maui Community Choir courtesy photo.

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT CHRISTMAS CHORAL CONCERT Saturday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Historic Iao Theater. Tickets $20.

Na Leo Lani O Maui will give a special holiday performance under the direction of Gale Wisehart and Uluwehi Guerrero and will feature holiday choral arrangements in both English and Hawaiian.

Accompanying the voices will be violinist Judy Waters, pedal harpist Kristine Snyder, upright bassist Jason Sadang, and Kana’ina Raymond on chimes.

Recording artist Lei’ohu Ryder will be featured as a special guest singer with the choir.

Na Leo Lani O Maui meets every Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Ka’ahumanu church in Wailuku. Members of the community are welcome to come and observe rehearsals respectfully.

CANDY CANE LANE CHRISTMAS FASHION SHOW Friday, December 16 at 9:30 p.m. at Stella Blues Cafe. Entrance is $10.

Stella Blues will host a Christmas Fashion show by Karamel Collection and Pakaloha Bikini’s.

The show will also be a fundraiser for the Toys For Tots Foundation and entry will be discounted to $5 for those who bring wrapped toys to donate to the charity.

A discount will also be provided for those who bring their UH ID or United Bikers of Hawaii patch.

Special guest Drew Kaiser will be the MC with music by DJs Kurt and Trvr.