Civil Beat Events
Civil Cafe: 2026 Legislative Wrap-up
Join us in our Kaimukī newsroom for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion with leaders of the House and Senate on Thursday, May 7, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Our panelists include Chair of Government Operations Sen. Angus McKelvey (D), Minority Floor Leader Rep. Diamond Garcia (R), and Majority Caucus Leader Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa (D). 
The discussion will be moderated by Civil Beat politics editor Chad Blair and reporter Kevin Dayton.
The event will be held at the Civil Beat newsroom. Our address is 3650 Waiʻalae Ave., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816. Validated parking for up to two hours will be available at the Civil Beat plaza.
This is a free community event that will be recorded and sent to all those who have registered. A link to join the virtual stream will be sent 24 hours prior to the start of the event.
Submit your questions for the panel here.
Register here to attend in-person, online or to receive the recording.
Civil Cafe: Hawaiʻi vs. Invasive Species
Join us in our Kaimukī newsroom for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion on the growing threat of invasive species in Hawaiʻi on Friday, May 15, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. with local leaders and advocates working on the front lines to combat invasive species and protect Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems. They plan to share current efforts, challenges, and solutions to address this urgent environmental issue. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Panelists: 
- Christy Martin – Program Manager & Information Officer, CGAPS-Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa)
- Dexter Kishida – Food Security and Biosecurity Manager for Department of Transportation.
- Kimeona Kane – Chair of Waimānalo Neighborhood Board #32 and community advocate.
More speakers to be announced soon!
The discussion will be moderated by Civil Beat reporter Thomas Heaton.
The event will be held at the Civil Beat newsroom. Our address is 3650 Waiʻalae Ave., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816. Validated parking for up to two hours will be available at the Civil Beat plaza.
This is a free community event that will be recorded and sent to all those who have registered. A link to join the virtual stream will be sent 24 hours prior to the start of the event.
Submit your questions for the panel here.
Register to attend in-person, online or to receive the recording.
Pop-up Newsroom: Waialua
Civil Beat is bringing its pop-up newsroom to Waialua Public Library on Tuesday, April 14 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. In the past month, Civil Beat has reported on widespread flooding, power outages, damaged homes and farms, evacuations, as well as ongoing concerns about infrastructure such as the Wahiawā Dam, which led to a warning of potential failure during the recent storm. 
This gathering is an opportunity to talk story with Civil Beat staff, including Assistant Managing Editor Nathan Eagle and reporter Caitlin Thompson, to share your experiences, ask questions about our coverage and tell us what matters most in your community as recovery continues. We want to hear your concerns, perspectives and what you think needs more attention moving forward.
Come connect, learn more about our reporting and help shape the stories that come next.
Pop-up Newsroom: Haleʻiwa
Due to severe weather, this event has been postponed.
Civil Beat is bringing its pop-up newsroom to Historic Haleʻiwa Gym on Wednesday March 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. In the past week, Civil Beat has reported on widespread flooding, power outages, damaged homes and farms as well as ongoing concerns about infrastructure such as the Wahiawā Dam, which approached critical levels during the recent storm. 
This gathering is an opportunity to talk story with Civil Beat staff, including reporters Blaze Lovell and Marcel Honoré, to share your experiences, ask questions about our coverage and tell us what matters most in your community as recovery continues. We want to hear your concerns, perspectives and what you think needs more attention moving forward.
Come connect, learn more about our reporting, and help shape the stories that come next.
A Conversation on the Wahiawā Dam
Join us for a free online event on Monday, March 23
from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. where Civil Beat reporters Blaze Lovell and Thomas Heaton will discuss the risks, realities, and future response plans surrounding the Wahiawā Dam and what’s at stake for the community.
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: High School
Join us for Civil Beat’s storytelling event featuring a group of Hawaiʻi high school students from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20 at the Tenney Theatre on the grounds of The Cathedral of St. Andrew. These young voices will take the stage to share personal stories of growth, resilience and their hopes for the future of Hawaiʻi.
Featured storytellers: 
Olesya Noerper – Punahou School, class of 2028
Mia Nishiguchi – Kalani High School, class of 2026
Nicholas Nishimura – Waipahu High School, class of 2027
Gabriel Patelesio – Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, class of 2026
Charlotte Madin – University Laboratory School, class of 2027
Charlie Koh – Punahou School, class of 2027
Doors open at 5 p.m. Pre-show entertainment will begin at 5:45 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m.
The event will be hosted by Megan Tagami, education reporter at Honolulu Civil Beat.
If you are unable to attend, a free recording will be sent to everyone who registers.
This community event is supported in part by a grant from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation as part of its CHANGE Framework.
Update as of Friday, March 20 at 10:30 a.m.: This event has been postponed due to severe weather. A new date will be announced soon. All tickets previously purchased will be refunded by Eventbrite and should appear in your account within 5–7 business days. Thank you for your understanding and support of Hawaiʻi’s young storytellers.
Civil Cafe: 2026 Legislative Update
Join us in our Kaimukī newsroom for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion with leaders of the House and Senate on Tuesday, March 3, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Our panelists include Assistant Majority Whip Sen. Tim Richards III (D), House Vice Speaker Rep. Linda Ichiyama (D), and Rep. Garner Shimizu (R).
The discussion will be moderated by Civil Beat politics editor Chad Blair and reporter Kevin Dayton.
The event will be held at the Civil Beat newsroom. Our address is 3650 Waiʻalae Ave., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816. Validated parking for up to two hours will be available at the Civil Beat plaza.
This is a free community event that will be recorded and sent to all those who have registered. A link to join the virtual stream will be sent 24 hours prior to the start of the event.
Submit your questions for the panel here.
Register here to attend in-person, online or to receive the recording.
Conversation & Coffee
Join Civil Beat reporters and staff in our newsroom on Friday, February 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for coffee and pastries, a behind-the-scenes look at what we’ve been working on, what’s ahead, and a chance to learn more about our journalism. Among the reporters, we’ll have Blaze Lovell discussing his beat on Hawaiian affairs, Megan Tagami covering education, and Jeremy Hay focusing on economic inequality. 
Complimentary coffee and light snacks will be provided.
This event will be held at the Civil Beat headquarters in Kaimukī, located on the second floor above Goodwill Hawaiʻi. Parking is located within the building at 3650 Waiʻalae Avenue, entrance on Wilhelmina Rise. Parking validation for up to 2 hours will be provided for all attendees.
We are fully committed for this in-person event. Join the waitlist here.
Civil Cafe: 2026 Legislative Preview
Civil Beat invites you to join us in our Kaimukī newsroom for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion with leaders of the House and Senate on Tuesday, January 27, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Our panelists include Assistant Majority Whip Sen. Chris Lee, House Majority Leader Rep. Sean Quinlan, and House Minority Leader Rep. Lauren Cheape Matsumoto.
The discussion will be moderated by Civil Beat politics editor, Chad Blair and reporter Kevin Dayton. 
The event will be held at the Civil Beat newsroom. Our address is 3650 Waiʻalae Ave., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816. Validated parking for up to two hours will be available at the Civil Beat plaza.
This is a free community event that will be recorded and sent to all those who have registered. A link to join the virtual stream will be sent 24 hours prior to the start of the event.
Submit your questions for the panel here.
Register to attend in-person, online or to receive the free recording.
2025 Neighborhood Haiku Poetry Contest
Civil Beat is giving the traditional haiku — a Japanese poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third — a local twist. For this project, we invite you to structure your poem using your neighborhood’s ZIP code instead.
Use the five digits in your zip code and write each line to contain the number of syllables of that digit. A zero represents a blank line. Everyone’s zip code in Hawaii starts with a 9, so nine syllables for the first line and so on.
We will be accepting entries until December 23.
See more examples from our 2022 Neighborhood Haiku Poetry Contest.
Civil Beat hosts numerous public and member-exclusive events every year, including monthly member coffees and pau hanas, Civil Cafe panel discussions, and an intimate speaker series known as Hawaii Storytellers. Through our events, Civil Beat looks to foster community discussions by providing a place where citizens can share their thoughts and debate important issues in a civil manner.
