This past Sunday evening, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival kicked off its third annual week of grand epicurean events with “Malama Maui”—the fest’s first-ever gourmand gathering away from its traditional home island of Oahu. To our eyes and sated palates, Malama Maui was a great success. Hosted oceanside, just after sunset, at the Hyatt […]
You can’t have a Spam musubi or the makings of a decent Hawaii-style plate lunch without one very necessary ingredient: rice. So it’s no wonder that (as with Spam Jam for Spam) this starchy staple has a popular local celebration dedicated to it every year. The 4th annual Hawaii Rice Fest, happening from noon to
For more than three decades, the annual Okinawan Festival has celebrated the music, dance and, of course, delicious food of the Okinawan culture in Hawaii. What started as a small gathering for Hawaii residents with Okinawan ancestry is now a two-day extravaganza at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki for anyone interested in learning about and experiencing
We weren’t even three minutes into the craggy dirt roadway to Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve when one of our companions busted a tire on his bicycle. A not-exactly welcome, if unexpected chance to absorb my surroundings. It was the first time in years I had been on the coastal trail traversing remote Kaena Point,
Just before the start of Hawaii Heritage Center’s guided walking tour of Downtown Honolulu’s 163-year-old Chinatown district, which crisscrosses the heart of this eclectic urban neighborhood and business and arts area, Karen Motosue shares a brief overview of the district’s past and present. “They were smart,” says Motosue, of Chinatown’s founders. “They gravitated to this
While Waikiki is Hawaii’s tourist mecca, with no shortage of foot traffic, there are plenty of spots across Hawaii that are great to meander, take in the local culture and cuisine and find hidden gems on foot. Get started with these and you may just discover a few new favorite places. 1. Kaimuki, Oahu The sidewalks
We’ve counted all of the votes from our latest HAWAII Magazine Facebook Ohana poll question: What’s your favorite Hawaii beach with something for the entire family? The top five vote-getters are on the pages ahead. Mahalo for sharing your picks! If you’d like to join in on our next poll and vote, along with our
There’s nothing like a lively kanikapila (Hawaiian for “impromptu jam session”) on the beach. And when that kanikapila honors the late, legendary Hawaii slack-key guitarist/vocalist Gabby Pahinui, in his hometown no less, you can expect some of the best musicians in the Islands to show up to jam. The 6th annual Gabby Pahinui Waimanalo Kanikapila
Missed an episode—or an entire season—of the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-0 and want to catch up on what’s up with crime lord Wo-Fat? Shrimp truck entrepreneur Kamekona? Oh, and maybe the Five-0 crime fighting unit, too? The Oahu-filmed series—about to begin its fourth season in September—will launch the syndicated run of episodes from its
The Honolulu Museum of Art seems to have more live music than ever radiating from its Beretania Street location these days. And starting in August, there will be even more. On Aug. 21, the museum kicks off “Music of Hawaii,” a third monthly concert series to accompany its “Secret Sound Showcase” alternative music and “Last
Banned earlier this year from lighting up at a handful of popular Oahu beaches and parks, smokers will now have to contend with smoke-free zones at all Oahu parks, beaches and bus stops. On Sunday, Honolulu mayor Kirk Caldwell signed into law two bills passed by the Honolulu City Council earlier this month banning smoking
Celestino Drago knows how deep the connection between food and culture is. His childhood roots in Sicily are evident in his cooking and have made him one of Los Angeles’ most lauded Italian chefs. “Everything I create is a reflection of my culture because it is what I grew up with,” says Drago, who runs
