Nothing says summer in Hawaii like listening to Hawaiian music on a grassy lawn, with the sun dipping into the Pacific just behind you. And a pair of Hawaiian monk seals kicking back for the evening. That’s the scene at one of Oahu’s most popular annual summer concerts series, Ke Kani o Ke Kai, hosted […]
Working through a bucket of fresh-cut kalo waiting to be peeled, Aunty “Honey Girl” Hoomanawanui shakes her head and scolds me, not once gazing up at me. “You not listening,” she says. Irritated, she grabs the wet chunk of kalo (the Hawaiian word for “taro”) from my hand and yanks out her butter knife. She
The crew of Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe Hokulea and its sister tech support canoe, Hikianalia are hoping to sail on the first international leg of a historic and ambitious three-year worldwide voyage tomorrow (May 30). Pending weather conditions, the two voyaging canoes will depart Hilo on the Big Island, where they have been docked for
Craig Yamamoto remembers the first lantern floating ceremony, officiated by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order, at Keehi Lagoon on Memorial Day in 1999. About 3,000 people gathered at the Oahu park near Honolulu International Airport, most of from the temple’s membership from Japan. And less than 800 illuminated lanterns were released in the waters there. More
In celebration of the 2014 Maoli Arts Month (MAMo), Bishop Museum will host a two-day Native Hawaiian Arts Market this weekend featuring more than 30 artists, designers, painters, weavers, photographers and carvers demonstrating, displaying and selling their work. The event happens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat., May 24 and Sun., May 25
Spectacular and acrobatic displays of flame-fueled, sharp-edged Samoan dancing will be staged this week on Oahu at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s 22nd annual World Fireknife Championship in Laie. And you can watch all four nights of competition live online. This four-day competition gets under way with preliminary performances starting at 7:45 p.m. on Wed., May
Two of Hawaii’s favorite edibles—Spam and Maui onions—are being celebrated in all their collective glory this weekend via a couple of popular annual food events on Oahu and Maui. On Sat. May 3, the 12th annual Waikiki Spam Jam festival will shut down a sizable portion of Waikiki main drag Kalakaua Avenue for a block
Celebrating its sixth anniversary this year, the annual Kau Coffee Festival has grown from weekend small town java fest into an multi-event-filled 10-day celebration of the 922 square-mile southeast Big Island district’s now international award-winning coffee beans and coffee growers. The fest’s line-up of events now includes coffee farm tours, coffee-tastings and the always-sold-out “Kau
The 51st annual Merrie Monarch Festival gets underway this week on the Big Island with world-class hula competition, exhibitions, entertainment, arts-and-crafts fairs, and the annual Royal Parade through downtown Hilo. The weeklong event, which runs now through April 26 in Hilo, honors the legacy of King David Kalakaua, called the “Merrie Monarch” for his love
If you’re in the midst of very modern Waikiki this weekend and find yourself yearningt for a glimpse into old Hawaii, check out the 29th annual Duke Kahanamoku Beach Challenge. The annual event, which benefits the Waikiki Community Center, is a mix of Hawaii heritage and modern Waikiki fun, with double-hulled canoe races, tug-of-war, stand-up
Oahu may not seem like a hot bed for Irish culture. But come St. Patrick’s Day, you’d think it were the Emerald Isle, especially in Waikiki and, of all places, Downtown Honolulu’s Chinatown district. Among the holiday highlights are the 47th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the 27th annual St. Patrick’s Day Chinatown area
If you’re on Oahu this weekend, check out the multitude of music, art, dance and food of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim set for this year’s 20th annual Honolulu Festival, one of the state’s premiere cultural events. The theme of this year’s festival, which starts this Friday and ends Sunday at various locations in and
