Makaliʻi stargazing and storytelling event set for Friday in Pāʻia

Archive for Health, Arts, and Spirit will host a Makahiki season gathering with stargazing, storytelling and a sunset picnic from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Laʻakea Village Farm in Pāʻia, according to a news release.

The event, called An Evening with Makaliʻi: Stories in the Stars, is hosted by the organization, with Laʻakea Village. The release says the gathering celebrates the start of the Makahiki season as Makaliʻi, the Pleiades, rises to mark the season of Lono.

The program includes a sunset picnic and time for pilina, or connecting with neighbors and friends, along with a stargazing talk by astronomer Harriet Witt and storytelling by Kahiau Espania.

Guests may bring their own food or buy dinner from Laʻakea Village, which will offer Laʻakea-grown ʻulu, chicken curry and rice. Proceeds from food sales benefit Laʻakea Village’s Abilities Day Program.

Admission is $5 per person or $10 per family. RSVP is required at eventbrite.com. The event is also listed on Facebook. The farm is at 639 Baldwin Ave., Pāʻia, and parking is free. The event is for all ages, and no alcohol is permitted. Organizers suggest guests bring blankets or chairs, a light jacket and their ʻohana.

“Makahiki is a season of renewal, gratitude, peace, and abundance,” AHAS co-founder Hōkū Pavao said in the release.

Laʻakea Village Executive Director Ashlee Klemperer described the farm as a place “where people of all abilities work side by side, growing kalo and ʻulu and building skills that carry into every part of life.”

AHAS describes itself as a Hawaiʻi-born, multi-state collective of artists, educators and healers. Laʻakea Village is a life-sharing community in Pāʻia that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its farm focuses on regenerative farming and growing crops such as kalo and ʻulu, the release says.

The event is supported by the Hawaiʻi Arts & Health Network, with funding from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. Event partners include Collective Pilina Theatre and ProArts Playhouse, with event services by HeartSpace Collaborative.

For more information, contact Stephie Garrett of HeartSpace Collaborative at heartspacecollaborative@gmail.com.