AUG.-SEPT.

MAUI WRITERS CONFERENCE

The Maui Writers Conference is doing something different: It won't be happening on Maui. Instead, the conference will be "On the Road" this year, coming to O'ahu Aug. 29-Sept. 1, offering more than 100 different workshops, lectures, one-on-one meetings with editors and agents and chances to meet award-winning and best-selling writers. The headquarters for the conference is the Ala Moana Hotel and the Hawai'i Convention Center. Some scholarships are being offered for those who can't afford the registration, which costs about $700 to $1,000 for all events. (A writers retreat precedes the event Aug. 22-28, for which additional fees are charged.) 808-879-0061; www.mauiwriters.com

JULY 12-13

HULA HO'OLAUNA

As everyone involved in hula knows, Japan is wild about Hawai'i's indigenous dance/storytelling form: There are literally hundreds of hula schools there, several magazines devoted to hula and many Island hula masters spend as much time in Nippon as they do here. So it only makes sense that an event, Hula Ho'olauna Aloha, celebrates the bridges between the two cultures. Set for July 12 and 13, Hula Ho'olauna (a term that means "to introduce one to another") was founded to bring Japanese and Hawaiian hula schools together, both in competition and as an exhibition. Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. July 12 at the Waikiki Shell, there will be an exhibition by Japanese and local halau. Among those performing: Pomaikai Keawe Lyman (granddaughter of the late Auntie Genoa Keawe), plus Mahela Sai and Piloha. Admission is free. The festival hula competition, between Japanese halau alone, is 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 13, with a total of 16 competitors (four solo, 12 group, both female and male). Open to family and friends of participating halau and those with U.S. I.D. or military I.D. 347-2012.

NOV. 16-22

RESTAURANT WEEK

In many cities, Restaurant Week is an institution: a time when restaurants offer special menus and discounts to benefit charity and draw in new customers. Hawai'i's Restaurant Week is set for Nov. 16-22 with participants ranging from Roy Yamaguchi to Sam Choy (pictured at left), and it benefits the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head (formerly the Cannon Club). The vision for this educational institution is a world-class cooking school that trains a workforce that will help to keep Island restaurants healthy and thriving. Restaurants that would like to get involved should e-mail Conrad Nonaka at conradn@hawaii.edu. Diners who want to plan their week can go to wwww.restaurantweekhawaii.com.