After Dark in the Park
Special Speaker Presentations

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium

Park entrance fees apply
Your $1.00 donation supports park educational programs

November 17, 2009 - "Examining the Kilauea Iki Eruption Fifty Years Later"

At 8:08 pm on November 14, 1959, one of the world's most spectacular fountaining eruptions broke out in Kilauea Iki crater. Half a century later, thousands of eyewitnesses still treasure their experiences of watching mesmerizing lava fountains, the filling and draining of a deep lava lake and the creation of a nuew cinder hill, later named Pu`u Pua`i. Volcanologists Bruce Houghton, Wendy Stovall, Sarah Fagents and Don Swanson are completing a three-year re-analysis of this famous eruption. Their work merges contemporary observations by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and park staff with new information garnered from studying the 1959 lava deposits. Hear their reconstruction of this remarkable eruption and what it reveals about Kilauea volcano.

December 8, 2009 - "John Keawe's Hawai`i Island Home"

On this cool mountain evening, join renowned musician John Keawe as he warms our auditorium with sweet songs and slack key guitar music. His wife Hope provides moving interpretations of his soulful songs with her graceful hula. This year, John's long and successful career was topped off with the 2009 Na Hoku Hanohano Slack Key Album of the Year award for his CD "Hawai`i Island is My Home". In his newest DVD, "Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Lessons, Keawe Style", John shares his distinctive musical techniques and aloha spirit. This program featuring John and Hope Keawe's lovely music and hula was produced by the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Outreach College's Statewide Cultural Extension Program.

December 15, 2009 - "Eruptions of Kilauea: Revisiting Iki in 1959 and Kapoho in 1960"

A newly-released DVD, "Eruptions of Kilauea", commemorates two amazing eruptions that occurred fifty years ago. In November and December of 1959, Kilauea Iki erupted a series of spectacular lava fountains that filled the crater with a deep lava lake and built a new cinder hill in just a few weeks. Then, in mid-January, a related eruption began nearly 30 miles away at Kapoho. The ground cracked open and voluminous lava flows transformed the eastern tip of the island in a five-week eruption. Fast-moving lava flows inundated Kapoho town and nearby farms, and poured into the sea, creating hundreds of acres of new land. Soon afterwards, Park staff created a 30-minute film, "Eruptions of Kilauea", featuring stunning eruption footage and dramatic human stories. Half a century later, this vintage film, in DVD format, showcases these famous eruptions. Join us to watch the film, share memories and commemorate the Kilauea Iki and Kapoho eruptions.

Return to:
Ranger-led Programs
Events
Plan Your Visit

Go To:
After Dark in the Park - Archives for a list of recent presentations