Kahilu Theatre began as the dream of a native Hawaiian, who wanted to create a theater that would inspire creativity and a passion for the arts among local residents and visitors. Built in 1979, the 490-seat theatre in the town of Waimea hosts stage performances throughout the year, as well as free community events, a youth concert series, meetings, lectures and other special events. The gallery in the theater displays work of up-and-coming Hawaiian artists as well as established artists on the Big Island. The Youth Concert series is a special series of performances from the headlining shows, reworked especially for a younger audiences. Performances have included HANDS, a Chinese Percussion Team; Kealoha, the founder of HawaiiSlam; and PHILADANCO!, a Philadelphia Dance Company.
The East Hawaii Cultural Center is an important force that promotes Hawaiian arts, culture and creative traditions. Since Hawaii is a multi-ethnic state, the council was founded in 1967 with six charter organizations that reflect the diversity of the Pacific islands. The cultural center is home to an effective alliance of arts organizations, including the Big Island Dance Council, Hawaii Concert Society, Bunka No Izumi, Kin Ryosho Dance Academy, and the Philippine Women's Circle.
The Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum will open your eyes to one of the largest exports of the state of Hawaii, a crop that harkens back to Hawaii's early plantation culture. The Sugar Museum is housed in a renovated historic building that dates back to 1902. Documents, artifacts and photos chronicle the rise and fall of sugar as an economic stimulus for the island of Maui. Details include facts about the sugar industry, plantation life and the fate of immigrants who came to Hawaii from around the world for jobs. The unique lifestyle created by the melting pot of immigrants still endures today in the enviable local lifestyle of the Hawaiian culture. The museum includes six exhibit rooms: The Geography Room; The Water Room; The Human Resources Room; The Plantation Room; The Field Work Room and The Mill Room, plus outdoor displays of plantation equipment.