Summer is on its way and there’s going to be lots of special events around the island. Below are some of the highlights of what’s going on this summer on Oahu.
North Shore Ocean Fest
Turtle Bay Resort
June 3, 10am-4pm
The North Shore Ocean Fest will be held at Turtle Bay Resort. This is a free event. But it’s also a benefit to help support the North Shore Ocean Education Coalition. You can buy raffle tickets to win great prizes. There will also be lots of activities, food vendors, hula, live music, and much more.
Biggest Little Airshow in Hawaii
Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor
June 3-4, 10am-4pm
Remote-control planes will be taking to the skies right above Ford Island for the Biggest Little Airshow in Hawaii. You can take the free shuttle from Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to Ford Island to see all the popular planes and the pilots who control them. Entry to the show is $5 but will be well worth it. There will be plenty of food, drinks, music, and entertainment. The hangar will be open for you to explore the different exhibits. Tours will be given. And cockpits will be open for you to climb inside.
Pan Pacific Festival
Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki
June 9 – June 11
The Pan Pacific Festival will be an all-weekend event featuring talent from all different parts of the Pacific, including Japan, Korea, and Hawaii. The Festival starts with a big block party on Friday evening. Kalakaua Avenue will be closed off to accommodate the different stages and booths. There will be lots of entertainment featuring cultural performances, as well as a variety of local and ethnic food. The party continues throughout the weekend with performances at different venues, including Ala Moana Center, Waikiki Beach Walk, and the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound. The performances and their scheduled times can be found here at this link. Finally, there will be a Grand Parade coming down Kalakaua Avenue on Sunday evening beginning at 5:00 pm.
4th of July Celebration
Ala Moana Park
July 4
Fireworks in Hawaii are always a popular tradition. And when the 4th of July comes, we do it big. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the Ala Moana Center. You can find live entertainment and special savings all weekend long throughout the mall. And then on July 4th around 8:30 pm, the show begins at Ala Moana Beach Park. Three different platforms are used, making it one of the largest fireworks shows in the country.
Prince Lot Hula Festival
Moanalua Gardens
July 15-16, 9am-4pm
Held at the Moanalua Gardens is a Hula Festival honoring Prince Lot (later reigning as King Kamehameha V). When the hula was abolished in days of old, Prince Lot reprised it in the Moanalua district. And now it is celebrated the third weekend in July of every year. You’ll experience performances of both the ancient and contemporary hula. There will be a Hawaiian craft fair, workshops, entertainment, and lots of food vendors. The gardens are located at 2850-A Moanalua Road. And more information can be found at the foundations’ website.
Annual Ukulele Festival
Kapiolani Park Bandstand
July 16, 10:30am-5pm
The ukulele was introduced to the islands by the Portugues in the late 1800’s. It was used at many royal functions and also to accompany hula dances. Then, in 1970, the Ukulele Festival was introduced to help showcase it as a solo instrument. The festival will be at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand where a number of performances will be held, including an 800-student ukulele orchestra. There will also be food, souvenirs, and free ukulele lessons.
Na Hula Festival
Kapiolani Park Bandstand
August 5-6, 9am-2pm
Another festival celebrating the famous Hawaiian hula dances, Na Hula is the longest running hula event in Hawaii. It started in 1940 before Hawaii even became a state. It’s held at Kapiolani Park, the oldest and largest park in Honolulu. This festival is one that encourages people to bring food to share with others.
Image by: pan-pacific-festival.com
