Waimea Paniolos Start a Talk Story Night with Chicken Skin Ghost Stories Oct. 29

The Big Island’s town of Waimea is known as the home of Parker Ranch and its Paniolo, or cowboys. The history of Waimea is rich with tales of Parker Ranch and its Paniolo, much of which is preserved by the Paniolo Preservation Society. As a tie in to Halloween, the Paniolo Preservation Society will be kicking off a new series of Paniolo Talk Story Nights with “chicken skin” Paniolo ghost stories.

The banners are up in Waimea for Paniolo Talk Story at Pukalani Stables, 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

The Preservation Society is billing this event as, “Hawai’i Island residents and visitors are invited to Waimea’s 100+-year-old Pukalani Stables for a new, free, after-dark series of Paniolo Talk Story evenings, a “mauka” version of Danny Kaniela Akaka’s “Twilight at Kalahuipua’a” gatherings at Mauna Lani Resort.

Paniolo Preservation Society is proud to host these events to perpetuate Hawai’i’s Hawaiian ranching traditions and to introduce the community to its new Paniolo Heritage Center at Pukalani Stables. Paniolo Talk Story is perfect for the entire family from keiki to kupuna.”

Of course, since this will happen over dinner time, you may get a bit hungry listening to all those ghost tales. Well, you can either bring your own as this is a BYOC—Bring Your Own Cooler and Chairs, or if you’d prefer, there will be PPS volunteers with a choice of hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages including Starbucks Coffee and a paniolo family favorite of cocoa ‘n crackers. Also, Kanu o ka ‘Aina Charter School ‘ohana will sell a warm dinner, snacks, and sweet treats with proceeds benefiting the school.

The Paniolo Preservation Society has chosen a Paniolo with long ties to the community to be the host at the talk stories. I’m betting he will have some stories that have been passed down to him. This is how the society describes him:

“Ku’ulei Keakealani comes from a multi-generational ranching family, and whose grandfather and father are both revered members in the “Paniolo Hall of Fame.” Ku’ulei brings to this new program the experience of not only having been raised in and still living the Paniolo life, but also having organized numerous presentations about Hawaiian ranching, cultural traditions, and land stewardship—ranging from the hard-core traditional skills of riding and roping wild pipi (cows) in rugged upcountry forests, to swimming cattle out to waiting steamships to transport to market, to the ‘olelo (language), mele (music), and related paniolo arts of saddle and lei making.”

As I have said, one of my favorite things about living in Waimea is the history of the Paniolos and the tales they tell. With the start of these Paniolo Talk Story Nights, there will be some tales to be told!

I love the Big Island! Aloha.