May–August: Western Week & Lava Nights

🤠 May–June: Plantation Town Pride & Western Week

May in upcountry Honoka'a means cowboys. The Honoka'a Western Week from May 17-26, 2025, celebrates the island's paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture with rodeos, line dancing, and the most authentic western parade in Hawaii.

Maile Akao, this year's parade marshal, comes from four generations of Big Island paniolos. "People think cowboys are mainland culture," she told me while adjusting her grandmother's silver spurs. "But Hawaiian paniolos were roping cattle before the American West was even settled."

The Saturday parade down Mamane Street showcases working ranches, not tourist attractions. Real cowboys on working horses, keiki riders showing off their skills, and vintage trucks loaded with ranch families waving from hay bales. The whole town shuts down, and everyone becomes part of the celebration.

Evening events happen at Honoka'a Hongwanji Temple grounds, where they string lights between the old plantation buildings. Line dancing lessons start at 6 PM, with live country music until midnight. The $5 admission includes all activities and supports the local food bank.

For visitors with mobility challenges, Hele-On provides shared-ride service from Hilo. Call three days ahead to reserve space for wheelchairs or walkers.

🎸 June: Slack Key Guitar in Kona

June brings the slack key guitar to Kona. The festival at Outrigger Kona Resort creates a free keiki lawn zone where families can spread blankets and let children move to the music. They provide a sensory-friendly headphone lending booth for keiki who need volume control.

Slack key guitar, called ki ho'alu, tells stories through strings. Master player Uncle Willie K explained it to me once: "The guitar becomes voice. It speaks Hawaiian without words." Watching kids naturally sway to these ancient rhythms reminds you that music lives in our DNA.

The festival runs sunset to moonrise, perfect for pau hana (after work) attendance. Food trucks offer everything from malasadas to Korean tacos. The resort provides free parking and shuttle service from overflow lots.

🌋 July–August: Summer Lava Nights & Starry Voluntourism

Summer on the Big Island means lava. Kilauea Volcano has been actively erupting since 2023, creating one of nature's most spectacular shows. The current eruption in Halema'uma'u crater offers safe viewing from multiple overlooks in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Twilight viewing works best—arrive at Kilauea Overlook by 6 PM to secure parking and walking space. The red glow intensifies as darkness falls, creating photo opportunities that no filter can improve. Bring headlamps with red filters to preserve night vision and respect other viewers.

Park Ranger Keola Kim shared viewing etiquette during my last visit: "Stay on marked trails, especially at night. Lava rock is sharp and unstable. The sulfur dioxide can irritate breathing, so anyone with asthma should stay upwind." He also recommends bringing warm layers—the 4,000-foot elevation creates surprisingly cool evenings.

The Jaggar Museum area offers the closest safe viewing, about 300 yards from the lava lake. Wheelchair-accessible viewing areas connect via paved paths from the parking area. The Volcano House restaurant provides indoor viewing through large windows if weather turns rough.

Summer also brings volunteer beach cleanups through the Mālama Hawaii program. These aren't tourist activities—they're genuine community efforts that make a difference. Participating qualifies for hotel discounts at participating properties, but more importantly, it connects you to the island's environmental challenges.

I joined a cleanup at Richardson Beach Park in July last year. In three hours, our group of twenty-five collected 180 pounds of marine debris. Local marine biologist Dr. Ashley Lukawsky explained how each piece of plastic we removed saves sea turtle lives. "A plastic bottle cap looks like jellyfish to a hungry honu," she said while untangling fishing line from coral.

Kona-side cleanups happen at Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area on the second Saturday of each month. Hilo-side cleanups rotate between different beaches—check the Mālama Hawaii website for current schedules. They provide all supplies and refreshments. Just bring water, reef-safe sunscreen, and closed-toe shoes.