The Best Festivals in Honolulu

Hawaii Food & Wine Festival

★★★★☆ 4.4 (17)

"Shhhhhh... don't want the lines to get too long for this event!Learning about this over a year ago, I longed to attend the 2017 festival on Oahu. Due to time and monetary limitations, we did not partake on the earlier events on Big Island and Maui. Being our first time attending a food and wine festival, we did not know what to expect. My best advice is to pick and choose the themes and chefs that likely fit your palate. We attended three and enjoyed them tremendously. It is well organized and the vibe is just right. With the lineup of chefs from around the world, you are likely to find at least two or three events that would pique your interest. If you are a devout foodie, this will definitely warrant your attention. We attended three events, Raw & Wild, Steamy Bowls, and the Taste of Seasons, each being unique and perfect in their own way. Hoping to be here again in 2018!"

Maemae Elementary School Family Night

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"Since moving to upper-Liliha over 15 years ago, I pretty much have been coming to the Maemae School Family night every year. This one-day event is usually held sometime between late-April to early-May. Rain or shine I am here and still amazed of the community support for this event. Many alumni come here to support the school as well as the residents who live in this district. On the school ground this event has many games, rides, food booths, bake shop, country store, silent auction, face painting, school logo shop and more! Wait a minute, did I say food booths? One of my former classmates has been volunteering for the Family Night for many years now and she has been at the Spam musubi. This year they made over 1200 Spam musubis!!!!!! Holy Cow, that's a lot of Spam peeps! In the past I have volunteered at the Family Night for many years when my niece and nephew attended here but now that they have both graduated, I now come here to enjoy this event. The weather this year wasn't that great as it RAINED RAINED and RAINED pretty much all morning to the afternoon. Eventually it stopped so I came by at about 6pm to find muddy grounds! But it sure didn't keep the peeps away as there were many people in attendance.When you go late they have bargains and announced 50% off at the bake shop. I was tempted to buy some goodies but made a promise to myself and my personal trainer to eat in moderation so with my will power I passed on this great deal. Last year I was able to purchase produce and plants discounted heavily but also passed this year as there weren't many things left of my interest.For the silent auction there were a lot of gift certificates and cool items. I put a bid on an umbrella I really wanted only to lose to a very aggressive lady who ended up purchasing 4 of the 5 locally made umbrellas. There was one left and I almost bought it as the staff thought no one bid on it but come to find out it was won by fellow Yelper Ashley S.! Overall, this is a great event to support the school in my district and look forward to this every year."

Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"MY wife won all access festival passes from work so we headed to see a series of shorts so far on Sunday, which was great and a lot of the stories ranged for very dramatic to very hilarious. I like shorts. They tell a story and convey a emotion but in a nice concise nature. I feel because of the time constraints of short there is so much more to be done in a limited amount of time. Anyway we wanted to go to some of the full movies but the ones were were particular interested ran too late cause I work really early. So far we have the other series of shorts planned and the Red carpet event. Kinda wish they had some weekday option but the festival is mainly on the weekend. I saw a few SNL members of the cast on some of the pieces such as Cheri Oteri and Molly Shannon. I kinda wanted to see the movie Ideal Home with two dads Paul Rudd & Steve Coogan but Didn't work with my schedule. So far the experience has been great."

Arts and Flavors of Hawaii

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"I missed several of the big food expos in Honolulu so I was excited to hear about this small one - and in my neighborhood! I found out about it through Ubae, an ube dessert business that I stalk on social media to find out where they're going to show up next. I was nonplussed when they posted that they'd be at a festival at a retirement center, but they assured me it was open to the public.We got there close to opening time and were able to find parking in the lot - the retirement center welcomes festival goers and had a staffer in a golf cart showing people where they could park. When the lot filled, I'm sure they had people park on the street - easy to do since it's a great walkable neighborhood.The first vendors you see are in the other section of the parking lot - mostly food including a couple of food trucks. Up in the retirement center, vendors are arranged on the patio and foyer - I can imagine it got pretty crowded there later in the day.It was a great mini foodie Mecca - I discovered new local favorites like The Stick and The Ball granola with creative flavors like coconut and lavender; a rainbow of homemade marshmallows from Mandie's Munchies; dragonfruit slushie by Wicked HI; and delicious curry rice with cranberries from Ka'iulani Spices. There was also a great range of clothing, gift, artwork and jewelry vendors - I was surprised by the level of craftsmanship, it wasn't swap meet goods at all (not knocking the swap meet, love that place). Can't wait for the next one!"

New Year's Ohana Festival

★★★★☆ 4.4 (34)

"FOMO...Everything happens for a reason and with my new (going on two years) job I do now have Sundays off which is a curse and a blessing as some businesses are closed but some events are happening!!!This is the 30th!! Yup 30th Annual New Year's Ohana Festival celebrating the year of the Rabbit and all things the local loves along with Japanese traditions all day from 10am to 4pm at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i.Let me tell you I've NEVER and couldn't attend any of these events and I believe it did spill over much more than this years event but it was HUGE! Filled with so much entertainment with Taiko, Sumo demonstration and a bunch of keiki crafts what fun event for all!Lined up outside on the ground floor was a few food vendors and some entertainment and up on the 5th floor was more entertainment (had some keiki taiko which was super adorable!) and a room of crafters even a final appearance from Ban Daisuke of Kikaida was the showstopper.There was SO much going on much more that I realized and could describe that you must visit their website https://jcch.com and it has all and it's the complete details of this event including complimentary shuttle bus service and a must visit event to go next year is the Dragon!Thank you!"

The Scratch Paper Sketch Comedy Show

★★★★☆ 4.3 (3)

"On nights that there is not too much going on down in Kaka'ako except for big fitness buffs that are going to the gyms at all hours of the night- there are still some things for us to see at Kaka'ako Agora.Kaka'ako Agora is a really unique location that looks like a warehouse turned into an open theater. They seem to support many 'ARTS' events- and HI Improve is able too to take advantage of this great location.It is really near Fisher for those that use that as a location reference, and street parking is almost always a must.Check in was wonderful getting a chance to say hi to Kimee who puts on the the events like 'The Scratch Paper Sketch Comedy Show' and other Improve events here in HI.Basically the show was organized as a cross between Saturday Night Live and the tv show based off it called 'Studio 65' where actors read the scripts instead of totally acting out the full dress performance. There were more than the 2 musical numbers included on SNL at the event here- which added depth to the event that people may not feel when watching SNL on a small screen tv. Live guitar in this setting pleased too the crowd. So well done.There were performances of the live 1st years HI Sketch Comedy Event filmed at the Dorris Duke theater. Those shorts were my favorite comedy bits. The event was a teaser and to draw interest from others in HI that love comedy and hopefully will garner more interest. Mahalo Nui Loa Yelp Hawaii - you da bes'!Mahalo Nui Loa Kimee + Improv Hi for a night of music and laughter. Awesome work by dedicated lovers of performance arts made for tonight's "The Scratch Paper Sketch Comedy Show" not just possible but a huge success."

Dessert Fantasy

★★★★★ 4.6 (14)

"Every first Sunday in November, Pacific Beach Hotel's ballroom is filled with some of the best desserts Hawaii has to offer. And for only $25, you can sample them all and even get seconds and thirds if you desire. It's all a part of United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii's annual Dessert Fantasy fundraiser, and it gets better and better every year. The event typically has over 50 restaurants and vendors who generously donate their desserts to this wonderful event. A short list of participating businesses this year included: Kakaako Kitchen, Cake Connection, Pearl City HS Culinary Arts Program, Uber Factory, Kakaako Kitchen, Nisshodo Candy Store, Dave and Buster's, Hilton Hawaiian Village, and Chocolate on a Mission, Haleiwa Joe's, Chocolate and Vanilla Bakery, The Pig & the Lady, Gros Bonnet Culinary Academy/Hale Koa Hotel, Regal Bakery, Hokulani Bake Shop, and Bubbie's. In addition to the dessert sampling, there was also a silent auction (much mahalos to Dave F. for donating his beautiful photographs to the auction), face painting, a balloon man, and live entertainment. And if you don't get to try all of the desserts, or had a few favorites that you couldn't get enough of, when the event is over, you can purchase a take out container and stuff as many remaining desserts in it as you can fit. If you've got a big sweet tooth, mark your calendars for next year's event which will be on Sunday, November 6, 2016 at Pacific Beach Hotel ballroom."

Food And New Products Show

★★★★☆ 3.8 (21)

"Food and New Product a retail therapy dream...Sadly has shrunk by half over the years it was the place to shop for items not usually found here on the islands is always nice for my personal reasons of visually seeing the products and giving it a touchy feely try with the added bonus of the show special pricing as well without the shipping and handling cost. The demonstrators of how things works and the deals always gets me in trouble but it was a lot of fun tasting and exploring fascinated by each items.Nevertheless going with a friend who loves loves these types of events as we arrived early (parking $8 admission $6) both prices definitely hurts though I was pleased to see a good amount of food and product balance and though the product are more shops selling their wears with just a few product demo and the same for food none of the samples to try the newest flavors and introduction but all great food vendors even some that I was eyeing was there which is a pleasant surprise.There was a good amount of large round tables to relax and enjoy the foods is a great great thing we totally took advantage of especially to snack on some the items we bought with an impromptu photo ops making it a fun night to remember though my camera was acting up so I didn't have much pics...sob!Chubby Fries & Wings, Honolulu Rose Cake Shop, Pacifikool, Bamboo Stickers, Tropical, Neha's Kitchen, Judy Shop, Chyler's Hawaiian Beef Chips...and so much more thank you! Bestie came straight from work still in uniform got a generous amount of massage time on the Daiwa chair which made her smile and now wants one lol but it was a great time browsing and supporting local.Thank you!"

Kaneohe Night Market

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Great place to bring family and support local vendors of crafts and food with some first class entertainment on a live stage. So many food stalls and trucks to choose from it was difficult to choose which one to eat from in the end we ended up at Kababa Mama's stall, the home of Mama's Smash Burger, only we went for the grilled Chicken Shawarma which was just an outstanding dish, squeeze of lime over tender pieces of chicken thigh, with a layer of Tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, diced tomatoes, pickled onions and finely diced cucumber on grilled pitta bread. For vegetarians they also have a veggie Falafel Smash with Chickpeas, Tzatziki, Feta, Tomatoes, Pickled Onions and Cucumbers. The lines were long and the wait even longer but so worth it. I even grabbed one to go just as the event was closing down, it was that good.The amount of vendors at this event is well worth a visit, lots of choices and quality merchandise. For the last few months the event has been scheduled for the last Friday of the month in the Alaloa parking lot at Windward Mall ( Mauka side of Alaloa St.). As the Mall parking fills quickly they do run a shuttle from King Intermediate, although they are charging for this, which goes towards a worthy cause supporting the school's band."

Amazing Hawaii Comic Con

★★★★☆ 4.2 (58)

"Mahalo to Emi and Yelp Hawaii for the free tickets to this AMAZING Comic Con (August 25 - 27, 2017)!!! I signed up under the Events tab of the Yelp app and got an email a few days later, stating that I had won a pair of tickets!This is the third year that Hawaii has had a Comic Con. I've read reviews about how it began with lots of hard work and obstacles that were overcome!My +1, Jules Y., and I found free parking nearby and walked to the Hawaii Convention Center. I picked up my wristbands at the Will Call/Media line of the Registration table. No problem! I just told them that my name should be on the Yelp list! ...and it was!Inside the air conditioned Exhibition Hall, many vendors were arranged neatly and were found easily according to the map printed in the brochure. For those who wanted to relax and see a movie between presentations, the Stage area had many seats. However, we stood in the back and took photos of the Cos Play parade! After that, we took a look at the famous people at the Autograph Pavillion.I'm so grateful to be able to experience this cool event! There are 2 more days to enjoy, so come on down!"

Snow Day at Kapolei Commons

★★☆☆☆ 2 (2)

"So this was the first year that I decided to check out this highly talked about event and boy was I disappointed. First of all it's a one day event and only lasts 2 1/2 hours. Come on people...don't you think that snow coming to our island deserves more than one day?Second, not only is it a one day, highly anticipated event but it's also free! WHO don't like FREE!? Don't you think that everybody and they mama is gonna show up? Even more reason for it to last more than a day, or at least more than 2 1/2 hours.So here I am thinking I'm gonna see a whole parking lot full of snow with all the happy keiki making snow angels and having snow ball fights... instead I see a mountain of snow the size of the Hawaiian Ice truck being used to create it! I was in shock...are you kidding me this is what the whole island came here for? So disappointing. I continue to walk around the small gate surrounding the mountain of snow to find an entrance and what do I see? A line as long as the eye can see! As we decide that this is so not worth standing in that line I over hear a worker telling the people in line that they may not have their turn in the snow. WHAT!!! I thought. These poor kids are standing in this outrageous line in the hot sun patiently waiting for their 15 minutes (yes 15 literal minutes) for their time in the snow, and they might be turned away? I couldn't believe my ears. As I'm walking away I hear the MC talking over the speaker telling the next group of kids being let in that one of the rules are that they can't throw snow balls. Where is the fun in this?I understand that this is a free event, which is awesome, but really what is the point if the kids can't have fun? In my opinion not worth the time and possible disappointment of the little ones not being able to touch the snow at all."

The Mom Made Market

★★★★☆ 3.9 (23)

"Products made by moms, but if you aren't a mom, don't worry, there are plenty of products for you too! Tshirts, jewelry, purses, artwork, candles, granola, etc. There is a lot of space for strollers and wild childs like my twin sons to run around. The Yelp booth has crayons and paper placemats for kids to color to their heart's content. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day, so If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, head on down and buy them at the door and support your local mommy vendors!Much mahalos to Yelp for the free tickets!"

A Taste of Kalihi

★★★☆☆ 3 (2)

"First of all, this event is not meant to be like an Eat the Street kine event so don't be coming to this event with that type of mentality. This event is held annually every year at the Dillingham Shopping Plaza, specifically on Colburn St. the road in between where you have Popeye's Chicken and Foodland/PriceBusters/Saver/etc. on the other side right across. This is always like a mini version of the Filipino Fiesta because it is organized by the Filipino Chamber of Commerce. Even though the event is called "A Taste of Kalihi," the entertainment, organization, vibe, and atmosphere of the event is predominantly, Filipino. Why you ask? Just look at the demographics, can you tell me what is the largest ethnic group in Kalihi? What about the state of Hawaii? Nonetheless, the event is overall diversed with a whole day's worth of programming though local entertainment, food booths, community booths, and local business booths. When you come here, parking may be an issue because the event shares it with your regular customers that come in and out just to go to the other stores in the area. They also have stuff for da keiki with bounce houses, games, etc. The event goes from dusk till dawn so everyone can join in on the fun."

L’ulu Leeward Culinary Arts Gala

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"May 6, 2023 6-9 pm, last night. For the price of entry $175 per ticket, you support Leeward Culinary Arts program.I noticed that if you enjoy imbibing--from what I observed there were four stations that provided alcoholic beverages--1. a wine station, 2. a whiskey/Scotch, vodka station (here you could get a Moscow mule in a brass cup to keep), 3. a gin station and 4. a beer station. And for non-alcohol preferences there was a soda/water station and a coffee (canned) station. Make sure you have a designated driver, or uber to the Gala--because if you like to drink--you will be tempted to try various samples, of different labels. Follow the signage--that indicated that guests park at Gate 3. Check in at the upstairs area--and then stand in second line to get wrist bands and a program, tray with a wine glass--keepsake. At 6 regular guests may go downstairs to the grassy courtyard. And let the eating and drinking begin!!There were generous small plates provided by the various chefs/restaurants. My favorite dishes were -Basalts, Chef Malani Iokepa's Lebanese Spiced Braised Lamb -Feast, Chef Jon Matsubara's Salt Beef Sumida Watercress Consomme-Roy's Ko Olina, Roy Yamaguchi & Darryl Shinogi's Seared Bristol Bay Scallops,-Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Adrian Solorzano's Truffled Crab Arancini-Mariposa, Lance Kosaka's Lemon Pepper Grilled Kauai Shrimp and Sweet Corn, Bacon, Dashi Butter Sauce (loved the corn/bacon/butter)-The Pearl, Chris Garnier's, Hawaiian Kanpachi Crudo-The Pig and the Lady Andrew Le, Kristene MoonVietnamese Shave Ice with Pandasan syrup and fruit on the bottom (like Halo Halo)There was a large canopy table for the purchasers of tables. For our tickets we got the standing tables. There were reserved low tables for guests that needed that arrangement.My friend and I joined a couple at a stand up table, with a mother couple joining later. We all took turns saving the table while we brought back food for each other. Great people and fun times. We heard that the event used to be held upstairs indoors. But the other guests said they liked the courtyard, open air setting much better--the strung lights, cool light wind and out door atmosphere made for a lovely venue. At the end of the evening, my friend and I discussed it and we would definitely return. More pics to post soon"

Kona Nui Nights

★★★★★ 4.9 (7)

"A FREE concert on the Third Wednesday of every month? I must check it out! It seems too good to be true!I had seen Lyla D. check in at this Honolulu event in the past. Fortunately, this time, she invited me to go with her and her husband, Ed, on July 20, 2016. The featured guest performer was Hoku Zuttermeister who is known for his contemporary Hawaiian music, including awesome falsetto vocals! We got to the reception table in the lobby of the IBM Building at about 5:30pm for the 6pm show. We were welcomed by the pleasant staff with a warm greeting and a yellow paper band for our wrist!At first, we sat in the last row of canvas beach chairs and enjoyed some overflow of air conditioning from the open door of the IBM Building. Later, when family members of the hula halau left, we were able to move up and sit in the second row! The balmy tropical breeze kept us cool in the open air courtyard. A large white tent kept up protected from the last rays of the setting sun.Aja Gample started off the evening with her smooth vocals and slack key guitar accompaniment. Also of note, was Kumu Hina (I had seen a movie about her) and her hula halau (hula troupe)! There were other hula dancers (children, men, aunties, seniors, etc.) who jumped in and danced to songs sung by Hoku Zuttermeister, including Hoku's mother, Susan! It was such a wonderful event, full of surprises and fun!This time, Lyla got a free ticket for me via wardvillageshops.com - mahalo, Lyla!! Next month, I will be able to acquire my own ticket, now that I know the routine and the location. Free parking is nearby at the Ward Village shops, the Ward Warehouse and Ward Center. The restroom in the IBM Building is convenient and clean. Beverages were available at the bar in the back ($2 soft drink and $6 beer). A shave ice cart provided cool treats for $3 a serving.Besides watching hula and listening to Hawaiian music, we enjoyed each others' company and were allowed to bring in our own dinner! This casual 2-hour event reminded me of the Grand Performances in Downtown Los Angeles, but on a more personal and meaningful level. Our community is able to come together and celebrate Hawaiian culture, language, dance, and music in an inviting and intimate manner! A hui hou!"

Punahou Carnival

★★★★☆ 4 (161)

"I ended up at the Punahou Carnival yesterday and it actually didn't rain. If you know about the Punahou Carnival you know that it always rains during that time. It was also a lot less crowded. I could actually walk through the place without being shoulder to shoulder with people.I don't really ride the rides anymore. I just go for the food. I usually get the fried noodles and chicken plate. I didn't see those this year. I did get their Portuguese bean soup, malasadas, acai bowl and beef nachos. There wasn't a line for the nachos and acai bowl, but the lines were long for the malasadas and soup. The wait for the soup was an hour and a half. Yes, I stood in that line with everyone else to get soup. The line was backed up all the way to the parking lot. They limited everyone to four containers. It wouldn't be worth it to stand in that line to get just the 5oz. size. I got three of the 32oz. containers. The lines for the malasadas weren't as bad, but they limited each person to a dozen. The hubby had to stand in line twice to get the two dozen, while I was in line for the soup. After the malasadas, he went to get the acai bowl and I was still in line for the soup, lol. Ahhh, fun times! To my surprise they didn't raise the prices. Scripts were 50 cents each. The 32oz. soup was 17 scripts, dozen malasadas were 10 scripts, acai bowl was 17 scripts and beef nachos was 10 scripts."

PhotoCON Hawai'i

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"When I heard the first PhotoCon will be held in Hawai'i I was thrilled. I found about the convention through their Instagram page. This convention is open to any photographers and cinematographers from beginner to pro and all enthusiasts alike. Registrations is through photoconhawaii.com. Alexander gifted me with my all access pass for $20 for my birthday at an early bird price. Otherwise, it's $20 at the door for a one day pass including workshops for that day only.At first, I was confused at where and when we were allowed to pick up our passes. I was able to get pass at one of the speakers I attended. With my all access pass, I was able to attend speakers prior to the main convention. I listened to lecturers from Pacific New Media's PhaseOne's keynotes speaker Steven Katzman at the University of Manoa Hawai'i and Onne Van der Wal which is one of Canon's Explorer of Light keynote speaker. It was inspiring hearing and seeing different photographers speak about their biography and art.Since coming back to photography, I've met many wonderful people of my same interest. It was exciting seeing a lot of people I knew that I've shot with. During day one of the convention, we acquired a few cool badge lanyards and an organized booklet of what the trade show expo will have. While this is Hawai'i's very first photo show, there were an eclectic selection of vendors not only big name companies like Canon, Phase One, and Sony but loads of local vendors like a few of my favorites; Pro Camera Hawaii, Hawaii Camera, Pictures Plus and Chromaco, Hawaii Astronomy Club, Oahu Photography Tours and much more. There were lots of contests to enter as well. Hawaii Camera's Darcy Fiero and her daughter Jackie were tending the booth. Darcy is very knowledgeable with all my camera needs and I'm glad to have ran into her on the first day. Pro Camera's owner Tony Zerga is always helpful whenever we are looking for new trending gears in the market and it was great scoring an item from him that day at a discounted price. Canon was allowing free cleaning services for two items during the two day convention (a camera body and a lens or two lens). Hurry up and wait because the wait could be lengthy. While perusing the convention, we didn't forget to sign up for the free workshops, they can get full quickly. Sign ups are allowed at most during the convention or online. The workshops are a mixture of intro to photography, to model walks and photo walks or flash photography, natural lighting, portrait photography to food photography. The experience was outstanding all around. Be ready to walk in comfortable shoes if you're carrying your gears for the day. Certain workshops advice photographers to bring plenty of memory cards, tripod or certain lens for what you'll be shooting. Some do begin before the convention is open or after the convention closes. Aside from all the excitement, looking at the images from The Essence of Hawai'i Photo Contest was outstanding. I love the photos chosen for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners and the honorable mentions. All did a wonderful job and showed attention to advanced skills, focused on quality and artistic approach. Their photos were printed in metal and open for everyone to view upon entering the expo. I'm happy to see a few of my photography friends placed as honorable mentions. I look forward to attending another year of this convention. Thank you to Hawai'i's very own Ric Noyle for gathering us together and shining light to Hawai'i and putting us on the map.IG/FB: PhotoCon HawaiiParking: Street or at the convention for $6."

Rice Fest

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (18)

"Ric's- short attention span review:2017 was their 8th annual festival.Small in terms of what one would expect of a festival.Mostly food trucks, snacks with a sprinkling of service booths with information. (Yelp had their booth, yay!)There was a small entertainment stage area on the mauka side of the fest. Auahi street was blocked off roughly from between Nordstrom Rack and Agu Ramen.Area was really packed, hard to maneuver. No place to sit and eat in the fest. footprint. Most people ate standing up or took their goodies and sat by the Nordstrom/TJ Max area. A little more space with a couple of portable tables and benches would have been nice. Most interesting food offering: the pineapple fried rice with shrimp topping. A half pineapple boat stuffed with fried rice and topped with shrimp. Big enough for two, $13. Not a festival I would go out of my way for. But if in the area, why not?"

Christmas Lane - Ewa Gentry

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Wow.... what a magical night! Ewa Gentry residents definitely knows how to celebrate Christmas. This section of the homes (Pukanala St.) are pretty much all decked out for the holiday. The neighborhood is nice and clean with easy to walk sideways so super friendly to bring the kids. As we were going around the neighborhood, we found a hidden gem. This house on Kamaehu Way totally takes Christmas lighting to the next level. The owner sync up songs (Disney theme, Hawaiian, patriotic) to go along with the light show, with a TV outside. Some visitors even brought their own chairs to sit to enjoy the show. It's an hour long show. This should definitely be on your list of Christmas Lanes to visit. Merry Christmas!"

Honolulu Festival

★★★★★ 4.6 (29)

"The Honolulu Festival is Hawai'is premier cultural event. Its goal is to promote mutual understanding, economic cooperation and ethnic harmony, between the people of Hawai'i and the Pacific Rim region. The three day festival takes place in early March, and culminates w/ a parade on Kalakāuā Ave on Sun afternoon, followed by a fireworks show on Waikīkī Beach in the evening. If I am not mistaken, it takes place the weekend before Spring Break, so that all locals are encouraged to attend.We stayed at the Moana, and all traffic was blocked on Luxury Row (Kalakāuā), so we planned accordingly. The street was lined on both sides with viewers, and announcers were strategically located to announce the groups participating. The announcers were also engaging the crowd, asking questions like, "Is this your first Festival?", or "How many times have you attended?". The viewers were vocal, and having a lot of fun.The fireworks show was put on by a local family biz that has been around a long time. I think it is now run by the grandchildren. We watched the show from the Moana, and sat at one of the tables facing the infamous Banyan Tree and beach afterwards. All in all, a great way to soak up local culture, and spend a relaxing Sun afternoon."

POW! WOW! Hawaii

★★★★★ 4.9 (18) • $$

"NOTE: I hope this review doesn't get merged with the public art business page. This is a separate and NEW business page.The other evening, we walked into the Pow!Wow! Hawaii "Headquarters" looking for the relocation of Amy Wong's street wear and street art store formerly known as "Big Bad Wolf". When we found it, we found this new store named "POW! WOW! Hawai'i General Store" and peered in through the glass door to see Street Artist Jasper Wong working on completing the set up the store. The sign on the door stated it was closed at the time so I waited until daylight to call as the set up looked quite complete. When I called this afternoon to verify if this was the former Big Bad Wolf store and when this store would open to the public, Jasper Wong answered the phone. He confirmed their plan on opening this store on Monday and was nice enough to confirm business hours. I appreciated that he took the time to answer my questions as I expressed my excitement about the addition of this store to this neighborhood.I can't wait to check out this store for street wear apparel and accessories or greeting cards and artwork from fabulous artists who have participate in the public art in Our Kaka'ako."

Wildest Show In Town

★★★★★ 4.9 (8)

"My high school friends and I used to go more often to these weekly Summer outdoor concerts when it was FREE! A few years ago, even the parking at the zoo was FREE! Now, the parking lot at the zoo has metered stalls and the Wednesday concerts have a $3 "Participation Fee". It used to be a donation, but now there's a cashier at the entrance and a Security Guard who looks in your tote bags! Times have changed...However, it's still a fun picnic opportunity! My God Daughter and her mom were visiting from Virginia and mentioned that they were going last week. I didn't get the message because I was taking a nap before my Night Shift job. This week, they messaged me earlier so I could adjust my sleeping time! Yay!So, knowing that the gate opens at 4:30pm, I got to Waikiki about an hour earlier and found FREE parking on Kalakaua Avenue before the Aquarium. My backup plan was to park for FREE on Monsarrat Avenue. I don't mind walking a few blocks in the evening and working off a few calories! It's a pleasant walk along Waikiki Beach!I waited under the shade of a large banyan tree for my out-of-town friends to arrive. The slight breeze was wonderful and the bench was an added bonus! The line to get in grew longer and longer, but I knew that inside the zoo, the grassy area can fit an almost unlimited amount of people! Just remember to bring your beach mat, towel, or blanket and have a seat on the ground! The Senior Citizens bring folding chairs and other people bring coolers. "No alcohol" and "No Pets" are the posted rules. If you don't have time to bring your own snacks, there are vendors for shave ice and other goodies!There are activities for the keiki such as Lego building, Coloring Contests, and drawings for an authentic ukulele! This summer, about 14 ukuleles were given away! Roy Sakuma did a good job as emcee with his Trivia questions. Two large stuffed Lions were given away as prizes along with some tote bags from the Honolulu Zoo. Mahalo to all of the volunteers!Every week, there's a different performer or group. This final week of the summer, we happened to see Jake Shimabukuro - the energetic ukulele genius! The place was quite crowded as the previous week had about one third of the crowd, according to my friends. We're looking forward to next year's lineup! It's such a good deal! Maybe I'll go in earlier and visit the zoo animals (between 4:30pm and 5:30pm)!"

Aso O Tupulaga Festival

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"FOOD: The Mini German Buns really stood out this year. Just the right size to pop in your mouth with an A-W-E-S-O-M-E amount of bread to jelly ratio. L-O-V-E-D the Oka from the Wings of Love Church booth, basically went there almost everyday to get my raw fish fix (if you no see it on the menu board jus ask cause the first time we went they forgot to list it and several times I was lucky enough that they made it for me). The only thing I wish was that the booth that had the Fish & Chips (which was really good) had an option for rice instead of fries and came with gravy like they serve it in American Samoa.PARKING: Had to go early because of all the construction but that wasn't going to stop me from getting my Samoan food fix. Not really any handicap parking so don't plan on it. My suggestion is to go early and avoid going after 4:30pm (that train of cars coming in at around 5:00pm was almost nonstop on some days)."

The Honolulu Festival Friendship Gala

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"Where else can you find Japanese cheerleaders, the mayor of Nagaoka, the UH marching band and Guy Hagi?Only in the Hawaii Convention Center during the Honolulu Friendship Festival! This was a great night full of fun and delicious food.... With the ticket, we got our drink and food coupons. My favorites by far were the sushi, from Yatai Sushi, and the chocolate dessert from MW. Other restaurants included Morimotos, Ruth's Chris and Roy's. You also got one complimentary drink ticket!The stage was busy all night. My favorite performances were the ukulele super kids and Raiatea. There were lots of visitors from Japan; performing and speaking!It's great to have an event like the Honolulu festival to promote friendship between countries in the pacific."

Hawaii Pet Expo

★★★★★ 4.9 (13)

"Run run, fun in the sun. My fur-son and I had a super silly morning playing and running. It's always fun to have a surprise goal in mind that he doesn't know about. As we approached Blaisdell, his ears went up and nose started going crazy. "Other pups, dad?! Lots of pups?! There's mommy!!" It's the best thing in the world to see him go super happy to be somewhere fun, and the Hawaii Pet Expo seems like heaven for him. That's the best reason to come; this show is not just pet friendly, but encouraged. You'll see every breed of dog, many cats, birds, and even lizards and fish attending the show in carrying containers.The Hawaii Pet Expo is held every May at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. It's a two-day event, so it's not as crowded at any particular time. You enter from the Diamond Side near the parking, not the main doors as for many other shows. This show is FREE entry for the whole family; but you can make donations to many local charities present. The event staff is all volunteers and do a great job making it safe and fun for everyone. Be sure to take a pamphlet and some free poopie bags! Also, be courteous and read all the signs about where you can and can't dispose of accidents. Parking is street for meter (or free on Sunday), or $6 flat for the garage.The show is organized like many conventions here, booths are lined in rows around the perimeter and down the center. They had many club booths for breeds and types of animal, pet supply companies, local stores, online retailers, human food places, and animal clinics/hospitals. Many places had free swag. Others offered their wares for sale. There were so many fun smells that our little one kept jumping up to see what was being offered too! There are also activities and scheduled events, so be sure to see the website or brochure. These included dog and cat parades and obedience demonstrations.This is a worthwhile event to attend for anyone with pets. You'll find great items to buy and information to learn. For the pets, it's the best place to sniff some new butts and get some free treats!"

Pan-Pacific Festival

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12)

"Pan-Pacific Festival was held back in June 2018. I attended the Pan-Pacific Ho'olaulea on Friday June 8, 2018. It was held during hours of 7pm and 10pm Friday night.I was with three other individuals that night of the Ho'olaulea. We walked from the start of Lewers Street on Kalakaua Avenue and headed east towards Diamond Head.There were a lot of food trucks and craft booths. There were even three stages set up for entertainment. We seen live music, hula dancers, and even Taiko drummers. I believe there was a lion dance as well.As for the food vendors...I noticed Leonard's Malasadas Wagon, Mega-load Burgers, Blue Water Shrimp, as well as food trucks or booths that sold steak, ribs, corn cob, and waffle dogs. Lines were too long so I totally bypassed all the food vendors.Craft vendors included jewelry, carved wood puzzles or figurines, paintings, as well as hair clips. I personally checked out the booth with the wood carvings while the other three individuals checked out the jewelery booth or hair clip booth.Pan-Pacific Festival used to be held at the Kapiolani Park during the day time. With the change of time and location more tourists and residents managed to enjoy the Ho'olaulea this year. I know I sure did."

What The Truck?!

★★★★☆ 4.1 (23)

"What The Truck event in Waikele happens on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month. I attended the April 19, 2024 event after I finished work in Waianae.It's been quite a long time since I last attended an event at the Waikele Shopping Center. I drove around the parking area and there were some stalls for compact vehicles. I found an area that said additional parking behind the wooden barricades. The stalls were pretty much empty. There were few individuals riding their mopeds in the area. I parked the vehicle and proceeded to the food truck event.As I was walking around the What The Truck event I noticed a bunch of food trucks and booths. I even seen one booth selling shirts, another booth selling caps, and of course there was a section for the security. I spotted some event goers with their fur babies. Pet friendly event...that's pretty cool. Friday night was pretty busy with a lot of event goers. There was music being played near one area that had an older male shaping balloons into swords.One of the booths I went to was Ono Viet. I ordered the BBQ meat and spring rolls. A choice of having BBQ beef or BBQ chicken....I opted to get both with the spring rolls. There was pickled carrots and daikon as well as lettuce for vegetables. The BBQ meat was placed on top of vermicelli noodles. There were two spring rolls. The cost of the plate was $18.00.The next booth I went to was Smoked. They had smoked pork plates or grilled pork plates. One of the workers was asking event goers if they wanted to sample the smoke pork. I tried one piece of smoke pork and ended up ordering a plate of smoke pork...it comes with two scoop of rice and corn. The cost of the plate was $12.00.My last stop for the night was Ruby's 2.0 for dessert. I ordered the 3 piece triple chocolate cupcake with cream cheese, dozen shortbread tarts with peanut butter topping, and a strawberry banana parfait. Overall cost for the items was around $30.00.I took everything back to the vehicle and headed homeward bound. Once I got home I heated up the smoked pork plate. I noticed there were a little bit of white onions with the smoked pork. I added shoyu to the rice and black pepper to the corn. I finished everything.I was still hungry so I heated the spring rolls and the BBQ meat on a separate plate. I managed to eat majority of everything from Ono Viet. I left a little bit of the vegetables. I was getting kind of stuff from all the food. I think I can squeeze in a little dessert from Ruby's. I ate two pieces of the shortbread tarts that Friday night and finished the rest on Saturday night. I ended up eating a couple bites of the strawberry banana parfait then took a short nap before finishing up the balance of the parfait cup. I saved the 3 piece triple chocolate cupcake for Sunday night. All the desserts from Ruby's was absolutely delicious.Looking forward to attend the next What The Truck event and try some of the other food vendors if my work schedule permits."

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Fireworks Show

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (228)

"The Friday night fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village are absolutely magical! Watching the vibrant colors light up the sky over Waikiki Beach and reflecting on the ocean and the Hilton Lagoon is a perfect way to start the weekend. It's a great way for visitors to add a special touch to your Hawaiian getaway. I'm not suggesting to plan your vacation around this fireworks show but worth a watch. Locals have been enjoying this free show since 1988! Whether you're watching from the beach, the lagoon, or even from your hotel balcony, the view is stunning. The beach can get crowded around the Hilton so come early to get a good spot at the best vantage point near the lagoon. The best view away from the crowds is from a room at the Hilton or one of the surrounding hotels. You can even see them from a few spots on Mt Tantalus and further away on the beach. Definitely a fun time if you're in Honolulu on a Friday night!Starts at 8pm during the summer and 7:45 during the winter months.What's the reason for the low rating on Yelp? There are negative reviews written about the Hilton hotel, pool, food and parking. Nothing to do with the Friday night fireworks. Don't expect the Macy's 4th of July celebration and you won't be disappointed."

Filipino Fiesta

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (3)

"I am really surprised there hasn't been a review regarding Filipino Fiesta on Yelp until writing it now currently at this moment (05/06/2012). The annual Filipino Fiesta is held every year for the past 20 years at Kapiolani Park. Each year they have a parade on Kalakaua Ave. from 9AM to 10AM. Then a big festival event occurs at Kapiolani Park till about 5PM. {Parking is crazy and it is usually packed so be sure to get there mad early or else you will end up driving an hour looking for parking especially if there are other events going on around the area. Unlike the other cultural festivals that occur at this venue, the Fiesta is only one day. This is pretty much the largest annual Filipino event on the island and it is important especially because Filipinos are the 2nd largest ethnic group in the state. There are food booths and the food is always damn good. The prices are decent. There are non-profit, business, community, and cultural booths represented by different organizations. They also have a community health fair tent represented by different groups as well. The whole event is mainly run by The Filipino Community Center and the Filipino Junior Chamber. They have a day long program with non-stop entertainment on the bandstand stage by local Filipino American performers. Every year they bring in celebrities and stars from the Philippines which is pretty cool. They are usually the last performers on the entertainment line-up and they do a meet and greet session afterwards. Too bad the event is only one day. I'd like to see it a two day kind of thing for people that have to work or have other obligations during the weekend. Proud to be Pinoy all day everyday.Yelp 365 Challenge #281/365"

Eat the Street

★★★★☆ 3.9 (7)

"I really enjoyed this Eat the Street event in Mililani!Parking was OK (Either street parking up the hill toward the school, or at a park and ride with a shuttle to the event). I enjoyed that the event was more spread out than Food Truck Fridays at the high school. It didn't seem as crowded and congested, even though there were a good amount of people there.I would recommend going before 5 next time - as the lines started to grow around 5 pm. There were crafts, keiki activities, a mobile ATM, and lots of food truck vendors to choose from. I also recommend do a once around to scope out the vendors before you buy. I bought from the first lemonade vendor and didn't see Wow Wow until I went up the hill.Great job Eat the Street team!"

Kaimuki Christmas Parade

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"Hawaii's oldest parade 75 years young.Lots of businesses, school marching bands, dance troops, ROTC and of course Santa!There are commentators and singers dotting the Waialae route.A real family affair geared toward the little kiddies. A chance to dress up in your X-mas gear!Only downside is Waialae Ave is not closed down completely so there is still 2 way traffic traversing next to the paraders. Also, only one side of the road is the main audience to the performers."

Oahu Festival

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Another great street festival on the main drag of Waikiki. Lots of food and cool gifts"

Waikiki Ho'olaulea - Aloha Festival

★★★★☆ 4.4 (12)

"A first for us as we used to only come for the parade and sit across the Moana. Hubs was very excited so he spent about half an hour browsing what was happening on Kalakaua while I got banded and waited at the one day only Beer Garden sponsored by the Aloha Festival.Parking was convenient at the International Market Place. We came for the 6 pm special . We got a few freebies laid on the tabletops and spent $20 on two virgin drinks to get an item hubs wanted badly.Hubs returned all happy saying he bought an Aloha Festival tshirt. He excitedly shared there were craft booths. Concerned about an upcoming trip I told him I'll pass cuz I have Covid phobia, haven't caught Covid yet and maybe next year I'll brave that celebratory crowd.Instead of enjoying the merriment or getting dinner at one of several restaurants upstairs we inserted out stickered parking ticket and left Waikiki. Choice A: Side Street Inn but I pulled a fast one and drove towards King Street, University Avenue area and found an awesome place for dinner."

Soto Mission of Aiea Bon Dance

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"This is one of the smaller bon dances on the island, but they still have the two things that every bon dance has - dancing, and delicious food. It's usually held for two nights in early August, and it seems to get more and more crowded every year. The event starts with food for sale at 6pm, followed by Taiko drum performances and then the dancing. The festivities take place in the church's parking lot, which fills up quickly, so it's best to come early to kapu a place to sit. Bring your own chairs. Parking is tight in this neighborhood - which is another reason to come down early."

Empty Bowl

★★★★☆ 4 (7)

"So the last time they had this event was in 2013 in the Sears parking lot at Ala Moana. I'm glad they brought this event back because it's for a good cause and a lot of fun. So you could have bought presale tickets on the website or by calling Empty Bowl Hawaii for $20 each. You could also purchase tickets at the actual event, but it was a little more expensive. This year the event took place at Kakaako Agora which I think was a little small for the event but it worked better than I thought it would have. There were about 5000 bowls to choose from made by high school students as well as the Hawaii Potter's Guild. Each bowl is unique. I made sure that I got there early and was one of the first people in line because I know how indecisive I can be and I wanted to be able to peruse the bowls without a huge crowd. There were big ones and small ones in different shapes and colors. It took me about a half an hour to choose among the 5000 bowls and even then I decide to buy another ticket for $25 since I couldn't decide between two bowls. I chose two bigger bowls...one was light and shimmery while the other was heavier and textured. Next was choosing the soup among 26 different restaurants that participated. I decided to go with the gumbo from Hula Grill Waikiki and the hearty vegetable and grains from Town restaurant. I really enjoyed the gumbo. The gumbo was a Hawaiian Style Gumbo with Kauai shrimp, Kukui Sausage Company Andouille Sausage, Ho Farms okra and Hau'ula tomatoes. It was hearty and not too spicy. The event is for a great cause...the Meals on Wheels Program. These two bowls are gray new additions to my collection."