Honolulu Events

Annual Events

Address: various locations, Honolulu, HI Category: Fair / Festival - Cultural Dates: June 5 - June 12, 2011 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Illuminating the ties between Hawaii and Japan, this cultural celebration unites the traditions of native Hawaiians and Japanese tourists. Music and arts and crafts bridge the gap, and performers share their aesthetics with peoples of the other nation, setting up a cross-pollination of sorts. As part of the exchange,...

Address: 2863 Kalakaua Ave, Sans Souci Beach (race start), Honolulu, HI 96793 Category: Sports Event - Swimming / Diving Dates: September 7, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Seasoned swimmers and those on a personal mission take to the beautiful waters off Waikiki in late summer for this 2.384-mile course. The open-ocean race begins at Sans Souci Beach and finishes at Duke Kahanamoku Beach, and competitors are sent out in groups to keep the field manageable. One of the islands' two ocean...

Address: Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815 Category: Fair / Festival - Cultural Dates: September 10 - September 26, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

What began in 1946 as a week-long celebration of local culture has evolved into this extensive tribute to Hawaiian heritage, a statewide festival that touches all the islands. History, traditional music, and dance figure into the festivities, along with contests, church services, and the crowning of the royal court....

Address: 1201 Ala Moana Blvd, McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu, HI 96814 Dates: October 9 - October 11, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

In these days of digital media and CG effects, it can be hard to imagine the authenticity and allure of storytelling, but that's just what this festival promotes. It cajoles audiences to give themselves over to the spoken word, to envision and imagine, and to immerse themselves in the intricacies and delights of oral...

Address: 680 Iwilei Rd, Ste 100, Dole Cannery Stadium 18, Honolulu, HI 96817 Category: Fair / Festival - Film / Video Dates: October 15 - October 25, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Instituted in 1981, this multicultural film festival has grown from showcasing a small handful of films for a few spectators to informing and entertaining a much broader and more diverse audience. The festival seeks to find commonality in Eastern and Western perspectives and to bring a voice to Pacific, Asian, and...

Address: 2805 Monsarrat Ave, Waikiki Shell, Kapi'olani Park, Honolulu, HI 96815 Category: Fair / Festival - Cultural Dates: November 12 - November 14, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

People come from all over the world to celebrate the hula, Hawaii's signature dance and means of storytelling. In addition to appreciating the genre, spectators learn about culture, language, history, and the traditional Hawaiian philosophy of man's relationship to nature. Although competitions are part of the event,...

Address: 66-167 Hale'iwa Rd, Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach Park, Haleiwa, HI 96712 Category: Sports Event - Water Sports Dates: November 12 - December 20, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Waves on Oahu's North Shore are legendary for their strength and potential danger – especially during winter months – so it's no surprise that surfers use them as a gauge of their own abilities and athletic prowess. For men, the Triple Crown is composed of the Reef Hawaii Pro (at Haleiwa's Ali'i Beach Park), the...

Address: 530 S King St, Honolulu Hale, Honolulu, HI 96813 Category: Holiday / Seasonal Event - Christmas Dates: December 5 - December 31, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

As a way to usher in the holiday season, this December celebration is a city tradition. Its highlight is the lighting of a 63-foot pine tree, followed by the illumination of other nearby structures, but it's also distinguished by a parade and by a presentation of live music.

Address: 2805 Monsarrat Ave, Kapi'olani Park (finish line), Honolulu, HI 96815 Category: Sports Event - Running Dates: December 13, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

There's a lot to be said for a marathon course so beautiful that runners carry cameras to capture the beauty of the landscape. That's the magic of this oceanside route, which begins and ends in Waikiki but climbs to Diamond Head for its most trying leg. The December event usually features temperatures in the low 80s,...

Address: 1 Aloha Tower Dr, Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu, HI 96813 Category: Fair / Festival - Holiday / Seasonal Dates: December 31, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Quite a different experience from Times Square's celebration, Honolulu's version takes place at temperate Honolulu Harbor, near the 1926 tower that has welcomed cruise ship passengers for many years. Folks congregate in the area, dining in local restaurants, checking out fun shops, and being regaled by live...