August Showcase Postponed

August 20, 2020 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The August, 2020, Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase featuring Hawaiian steel guitarists Jeff Au Hoy and Bobby Ingano has been postponed. The showcase was scheduled to be live streamed on Saturday, August 29, from 3-5 PM Hawaiian Standard Time.

Newly-issued Social Gathering restrictions issued by the Honolulu Mayor's office on August 19 to control the coronavirus spread on O'ahu expressly prohibit gatherings of any size, indoors or outdoors. Essentially, anyone not living permanently at a location can't visit it.

The announcement of the new restrictions at a press conference on August 18 implied that groups of five or less were still allowed. This was clarified the following day with the publication of the official Mayor's Emergency Order 2020-24. A review of the order verified that Indoor and outdoor social gatherings of any type and any number of people are prohibited. The order is effective at midnight, August 20, and continues through September 16, 2020.

The two-hour live stream event would have originated from the Ke Kula Mele Hawai'i studios in Kailua.

The status of the September Showcase is unknown at this time. If the current restrictions are allowed to expire without modification and if additional Social Gathering orders are not issued, the September showcase will be presented as previously scheduled. The postponed August showcase will be rescheduled for presentation on a future date. HIMELE plans to continue to offer monthly Showcase events until further notice.

Additional information about postponed and future showcase events will be published on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase website and Facebook pages when it becomes available.