Tell us about your recurring music event!
Did you know there's bluegrass and traditional music on at least four Hawaiian islands? The high lonesome sound is everywhere! Please click below to learn more about recurring events on a specific island. (If you're looking for information about bluegrass & traditional acts on each island, visit our BANDS page.)
Various Weekends
Pickin' In The Park (O`ahu)
Please come and join us at one of our FREE 'Pickin' In The Park' jam sessions! If you play an unplugged traditional instrument, and like acoustic bluegrass, newgrass, mountain, roots, traditional country, Hawaiian, Americana, folk, Western, Celtic, and Irish music, you are welcome to come and jam along! (Listeners, of course, are welcome, too!) We are often joined by great musicians from out of town. Be prepared for some really exciting and spontaneous pickin' adventures!
Below is a tentative schedule for our jam sessions for 2008. Time and location for our jams is currently in transition; please visit our home page for current information. Also, please keep in mind that a jam is only tentative until you see it confirmed on our homepage. You may also contact caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com about a specific date.
Sunday, March 16--CONFIRMED! 12:30 PM, Kaka`ako Waterfront Park in Honolulu
DATE: Please see above for tentative 2008 schedule.
HOW TO JAM WITH BLUEGRASS HAWAI`I:
Sunday, April 20--CONFIRMED! 10:00 AM, Wahiawa Botanical Garden in Wahiawa
Sunday, May 18--CONFIRMED! 11:00 AM, Wahiawa Botanical Garden in Wahiawa
Sunday, June 22
Sunday, July 20
Sunday, August 17
Sunday, September 21
Sunday, October 19
Sunday, November 16
Sunday, December 14
TIME/LOCATION: IMPORTANT! Time and location for our jams is currently in transition; please visit our home page for current information.
BRING: Traditional instruments if you have 'em; lawnchairs or blanket (important!); picnic and beverages if you want 'em
COST: FREE to all!
CONTACT: Caroline Wright at caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com
Musicians with unplugged traditional instruments, playing acoustic bluegrass, newgrass, mountain, roots, traditional country, Hawaiian, Americana, folk, Western, Celtic, and Irish music, are welcome! Here are some tips to jam by:
Various times
Traditional Music Jam (TradJam)--O`ahu
Traditional music jam (Celtic and old-time music) with acoustic or acoustic-style instruments. Music stands are helpful; singers and beginners are welcome! TradJams usually happen about 1-2 times each month, either on Saturday or Sunday afternoons from 2:00 til 4:30 or 5, depending on availability of space and conflicts with other musical activities. For more information, please contact Maggie Brown at maggieb@lava.net or
Wilson Pang at wpang@gte.net.
DATE & TIME: Various (2-3 times each month)
LOCATION: Various; often Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Avenue, OR Manoa Gardens Elderly Housing, 2790 Kahaloa Dr.
BRING: Acoustic and acoustic-style instruments; music stands
NOTES: Temporary parking passes are no longer being honored, but no passes or payment are needed in the Early School lot.
MOTTO: "We're slow, but we're fun."
First & Third Saturdays
Contradancers Of Hawaii (O`ahu)
Music and dancing in the Celtic tradition, as influenced by the American experience. The musical traditions of Irish, Scottish, and English settlers of the Northeastern United States were perpetuated in rural New England, and are experiencing a modern-day renaissance. The dances include jigs, reels, waltzes, hornpipes, and airs. The Contradancers Of Hawaii always have live music played by some really fine musicians! Visitors to Hawai'i are particularly invited to attend. Visit www.sls.hawaii.edu/contra/ for info.
The First-and-Third-Saturday Evening Series
Time/Day: 7:30-10:00pm, on the first and third Saturdays of each month
Location: Kapi'olani Community College Chapel on Diamond Head Road on the mauka slope of Diamond Head, Honolulu
Notes: Mix of traditional and modern contras plus occasional circles and squares. There is a good wood floor in the KCC Chapel. No air conditioning, but powerful fans. While there is no scheduled beginners' session, if you
arrive half an hour early, the caller will be happy to give you some pointers--just introduce yourself! Live music by Whiskey Starship; Robert Bley-Vroman and Darrow Hand are the regular callers. Bus #3 on Kapi'olani near the Hard
Rock cafe will take you there from Waikiki.
First Saturday
Pickin' and Pupu Potluck (Big Island)
Listeners, singers, and pickers are all welcome. Barry and Jan encourage all acoustic players, not just bluegrass or country, to join the fun. They have plenty of room for separate jams for different forms of music. Rain or shine - it doesn't matter - the jam can happen inside or out. Please bring a potluck dish to share!
Do you live on the Big Island of Hawai`i, or visit there frequently? Our friends Barry & Jan Willis in Kona host a monthly jam (called "Pickin' and Pupu Potluck") at their lovely home in Kona Heavens on the Big Island. Jams take place on the first Saturday of each month. Each jam starts at about 1:30 PM and end at about 6:00 PM. Jan has built a website for the jams at www.jam.pinevalleymusic.com. Check it out!
Pickers from other counties on the Big Island are welcome; the Willises will even pick them up at the airport and get them back in time for their flight home. Contact barry@pinevalleymusic.com or call 808-325-0321.
There's a contra dance group going strong in Hilo! Dances are held from 7:00 to 10:00 PM the fourth Saturday of each month at the YWCA of Hawai`i Island, 145 Ululani Street, Hilo (downtown, near McDonald's and the Sack & Save). These well-attended events feature calling by Cindy Holmes and John Barnes to live music by Second String: Kendal Lyon, fiddle, Carol Hocker, fiddle, Lon Hocker, upright bass, John Barnes, guitar/banjo, Steve Ryan, banjo/mandolin, Theresa Jack, piano/vocals.
All dances are taught, new dancers are always welcome and no experience or partner is necessary. Please come on time and bring lots of friends! Visitors to Hawai'i are invited to attend. Your $7 voluntary contribution helps cover costs. Please bring a snack to share at the break and wear comfortable soft-soled shoes.
Call 808/938-7310 or e-mail Cindy Holmes at to check for current information or changes for each dance. Visit the website at www.contradancehawaii.com!
Pickin' In The Park (Kaua`i)
Reports Denice Sheffer, backup singer and wife of Happy Enchalata mandolinist Marty Sheffer: "The jam sessions change locations each quarter, so that all island participants and visitors have an opportunity to come and play. We switch between Salt Pond in Hanapepe (western Kauai), and Lydgate Park in Kapaa (eastern Kauai).
Attendance is FREE, and open to ALL participants and spectators. Bring something yummy to share with the group; it's a potluck with BBQ grills and the works!
For further information, please contact Denice or Marty at HappyEnchalata@yahoo.com.
Update: Denice has uploaded some video from the jams to YouTube--click here! Other videos are available by searching for keyword Enchalata on YouTube. Also, if you missed it, a very nice article about the jams appeared in the Garden Island newspaper this past July; to check it out click here!
Bluegrass Radio Show (Kaua`i)
Seeds Planted For
This is a monthly outdoor get-together of acoustic instrument music players. Steve says the music "could be bluegrass or folk or whatever you want to play. There will be no stage or sound amplification equipment. We don't all have to play in one big group; smaller break-off groups are okay." The jam will take place in or near the "older" shelter area at Kalama Park. Bring a chair you're comfortable playing in. See you there!
For info contact Steve at steve@sslater.com or call him at 808/283-7800.
Larry Sarner of Maui has organized a Folk Song Circle on the Valley Isle! The group gathers on the First Thursday of each month at Roselani Place, Wailuku, Maui, on Papa, near Ka'ahumanu Avenue. Start time is 6:30 PM.
This group sings songs inspired by the Great American Folk Scare of the ‘60’s, 70’s, by the likes of Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, Woody Guthrie, Stan Rogers, PP&M, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Bill Staines, Leadbelly, the Weavers, Simon & Garfunkel, Ian & Sylvia, etc. Come sing, play, perform, lead or just listen!
Singers & Acoustic Instruments Welcome! Larry says, "We expect that most folks attending our song circles, sings, etc. will not play instruments. We are mostly just singers. I say this because I just got a note from someone who wondered if she would be welcomed if she did not play guitar. So, no instruments are required. However, guitars, ukulele, banjos, fiddles, autoharps, etc. are welcomed. (Please no electrics, trap drum sets, Hammond B3s.)" He also mentions a couple of useful folk music websites: www.hober.org and www.wumb.org.
IMPORTANT: The time and venue for this group is subject to change. They also meet at other times and locations. If you want to keep up-to-date, please contact Larry Sarner at LSarner@maui.net or 808/575-9695 and ask him to add you to his mailing list!
Contradancing on Maui
There's also a new Contradance movement on Maui! Dave Fullaway is organizing the events. He recently offered dance lessons for newcomers at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center. If you'd like to get involved, please contact Dave at davidfullaway@msn.com.
Contra Dancing
On the Big Island
Kaua`i pickers, unite! The Happy Enchalata, Kauai's own bluegrass band, now hosts regular quarterly events on the Garden Island of Kaua`i, welcoming all acoustic musicians to join in and JAM! Bluegrass, reggae, rock, Hawaiian, country--y'all come on down!
Yeeeehaaaa, friends and neighbors! There's a bluegrass radio show on KKCR 90.9 and 91.9 FM on the Garden Island of Kauai every Tuesday from 2:00--4:00 PM. It's also broadcast LIVE on the station's website at www.kkcr.org. Join YA! (your Hanalei bluegrass deejay) as he opens the two-hour show with a half-hour selection of tasty Americana music. The remainder of the streaming audio show is devoted to the best of bluegrass! Click here for details!
New Bluegrass Society on Maui
From Steve Slater on Maui (photo at right): "Well, they do it on Oahu and we're doing it here on Maui!" The Valley Isle's first Pickin' in the Park took place on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at Kalama Park in Kihei. The SECOND Pickin' In The Park has been set for Sunday, March 30, at 4:00 PM, also at Kalama Park! 
Monthly Folk Song Circle (Maui)