Maui Arts & Entertainment

Earlier this week, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced it’s moving the release of its next full-length animated movie, Moana, from 2018 to 2016. The feature focuses on the adventures of a 14-year-old Polynesian girl named Moana.

For the sixth consecutive year, West Maui celebrates its plantation history with nostalgic food and festivities at the Lahaina Plantation Days event, this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and 25, 2014.

Ron Funches is among a list of 35 nationally recognized comics who will be performing at the Maui Comedy Festival. We asked him a few questions about Maui and about comedy in general.

The two-month Festivals of Aloha event continues with a week long celebration in the east Maui town of Hāna through Oct. 25, that includes a talent show, sporting events, and hōʻike night.

We recently got a chance to sit and talk story with musician Marty Dread. Here in Hawaiʻi we know him as the friendly “Reggae Ambassador,” but we wanted to dig a little deeper into the man behind the music. Here is what he had to say.

Maui police anticipate a crowd of at least 30,000 at the upcoming Halloween festivities in Lahaina this year, in part because the event falls on a Friday, just ahead of the weekend. The projections are slightly ahead of last year when an estimated 28,000 people attended the event.

Combining his passion for wildlife and photography, marine naturalist John O’Leary captures vibrant images of the world beneath Maui’s surface.

The two-month Festivals of Aloha event continues with three days of activities on Molokaʻi starting today, Oct. 9, and continuing through Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014.

“Keʻalaʻiliahi 2014 – Never Forgot(ten),” is a “celebration of all the wonderful experiences we’ve had on this journey, it’s a celebration of all those who have influenced us and continue to do so, and it’s also a huge fundraiser for our Merrie Monarch bound haumana,” said Haunani Paredes.

From the flying fingers of Willie K to the soulful talent of Taimane, more than a dozen island artists will take the stage for an afternoon dedicated to the ʻukulele.

The theme followed the path of persistence that Kukona has laid, being born and raised on Maui, spending some years away on Oʻahu, and finally returning to Maui as his home base.

The zombie apocalypse awakens this Saturday, Oct. 4, with a new Morey Monster Challenge Zombie Run and a return of the Haunted Hayride Zombie Shoot at the Maui Paintball course in Olowalu.

Attendance at the 92nd Maui Fair is up so far after preliminary gate totals were tallied from opening night on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Maui Fair Managing Director Sherri Grimes said paid admission was up by about 2,000 individuals from last year.

Today is opening day of the 92nd Maui Fair. The event kicks off with a parade down Kaʻahumanu Avenue that will result in the closure of Kaʻahumanu and Kanaloa Avenues along the parade route from 4:15 in the afternoon through around 6 p.m. when the gates open to the fair grounds.

His rendition of “Kimo Hula” earned him the grand prize award as well as the award for Hawaiian language.

The Maui Fair offering free Park and Ride shuttle bus services from select satellite parking stations in Wailuku, Kahului and Queen Kaʻahumanu Center to and from the fairgrounds on Kanaloa Avenue during select fair hours.

From culture to music and theater, Maui has it all this weekend. There’s a falsetto contest being held in conjunction with the Maui Festivals of Aloha, a youth ʻukulele contest in Kāʻanapali, and a throwback concert featuring rock favorite America.

If you’re 21 and over, and want to visit the ghost of prom past, the Ghoulin Rouge: Haunted Prom pre-Halloween fundraiser has a tiara and corsage with your name on it.

The West Maui Domestic Violence Task Force and Women Helping Women join forces for the event, scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014.

“At the last open mic we had over 200 people come with their families. We want to showcase all the different talents in our community,” said Karyn Sarring, faculty advisor to the Music Club in an event announcement.