HomeMediaAgentsJapan
Skip Navigation LinksHome : Oahu for You : Arts & Culture : Festivals : Community
 
Arts & Culture

Community Festivals

Immerse yourself and join the residents of Hawaii in celebrating our island home of Oahu. Taste the flavors of aloha and sample the island cuisine at culinary festivals celebrating our famous local chefs and the best in fresh local produce. Indulge in some shopping therapy and go on a treasure hunt for one-of-a-kind paintings, jewelry and other local arts and crafts at one of Oahu's art festivals and fairs.

MAY
WAHIAWA PINEAPPLE FESTIVAL - Join the local community at their Annual Wahiawa Pineapple Festival and discover the rich history of pineapple in Wahiawa and Hawaii. Highlights include delectable cuisine by renowned local chefs, pineapple-themed recipes from fabulous Hawaiian Regional Cuisine restaurants, and trolley tours of Wahiawa town. For more information, please visit www.hawaiipineapplefestival.com

HAWAII BOOK & MUSIC FESTIVAL - Spend the weekend at the park in historic downtown Honolulu on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds of Honolulu Hale (City Hall). Enjoy this free two-day festival in celebration of story and song. The Annual Hawaii Book and Music Festival features over a hundred performances, presentations, demonstrations, signings and other events by 350 celebrated local, national and international authors, poets, storytellers, playwrights, songwriters, composers, arrangers and musicians. For more information, please visit www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org

JUNE
ANNUAL WAIKIKI BY MOONLIGHT - The annual Waikiki by Moonlight event features Hawaiian entertainment, cultural exhibits, demonstrations, crafts & product sales, and great food under the romantic Waikiki moon! For more information, please visit www.waikikiimprovement.com

FLAVORS OF HONOLULU – This culinary event is a foodie's delight. Three days dedicated to great food prepared by locally loved chefs and all for a great cause. Indulge yourself and taste all the best dishes of Hawaii's best restaurants, enjoy the great live entertainment and not only get excited about the food but the celebrity chef show-downs. For more information, please visit www.flavorsofhonolulu.org

GARLIC & GINGER FESTIVAL OF HAWAII – Join in the gastronomical fun as Hawaii's favorite restaurants provide some of their most delicious garlic and ginger dishes. Highlights of the festival include garlic ice cream, garlic massages, a wine tent, martini bar, Budweiser station, silent auction, a fresh produce tent, Garlic & Ginger Lover's Store, and logo items. For more information please visit http://garlicfestivalhawaii.com

JULY
FOURTH OF JULY – Independence Day celebrations start early on Oahu; starting in the last week of June up through July 4. Enjoy carnival rides, nightly fireworks shows, local bands and musical performances by famous musicians (past performers included Gretchen Wilson, Alan Jackson and Three Days Grace) at Kaneohe Marine Core Bases's Annual BayFest. Continue the festivities at Aloha Tower Marketplace on July 3rd for their fireworks and live entertainment. For the grand finale, on July 4th, enjoy Hawaii's largest fireworks show at Ala Moana Shopping Center complete with musical choreography!

TCM ARTSPREE - The Contemporary Museum host this annual family-friendly art event. Come enjoy a free, fabulous, fun-filled day for folks of all ages, with continuous art-related activities, demonstrations & performances of dance, music and art by local artists. For more information, please visit www.tcmhi.org

PACIFIC HANDCRAFTERS GUILD FESTIVALS (JULY, SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER) - Discover some of Hawaii's finest artisans at the Pacific Handcrafters Guild Summer, Fall and Winter Festivals at Kakaako Waterfront Park. The two-day festivals of fine arts and crafts feature pottery, wood, clothing, glass, jewelry, seed leis, Japanese style bags, polymer clay art, folk art, metal sculpture, miniature Hawaiian hula ornaments, and more. Food from local restaurants is available with entertainment provided by the island's musicians throughout the weekend events. For more information, please visit www.pacifichandcraftersguild.com

HALEIWA SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL - Experience a broad spectrum of traditional, contemporary and ethnic arts at Haleiwa Beach Park in the historic town of Haleiwa on the legendary North Shore of Oahu. This event includes visual artists, musicians, singers, dancers, demonstrations, storytelling, student art displays, historical trolley tours, and arts and craft activities for children. Browse and purchase unique works by artists of all ages and cultural backgrounds. For more information, please visit www.haleiwaartsfestival.org

AUGUST MADE IN HAWAII FESTIVAL - Enjoy this three-day celebration highlighting the unique products of Hawaii. More than 400 exhibitors offer everything made in Hawaii from art, clothing, food, home furnishings, jewelry, toys, fresh produce, and plants, to authentic Hawaiian handicrafts. For more information, please visit www.madeinhawaiifestival.com

JOY OF SAKE FESTIVAL - Join visiting brewers from Japan and sake enthusiasts from Hawaii and Japan to sample the year's newly released fall sakes. More than 250 sakes, including gold and silver award winners from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, will be featured. The Joy of Sake is the largest sake tasting held outside of Japan and offers a rare opportunity to experience great sakes in peak condition. For more information, please visit www.joyofsake.com

SEPTEMBER
TASTE OF THE ARTS - The annual event held in Honolulu's downtown/Chinatown Arts District showcases local restaurants. Celebrity chefs display their talents with live demonstrations while local jazz musicians jam on the event's stage. The event brings together an upscale crowd of food, wine and art lovers.

OCTOBER
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - Established as the premier international film event in the Pacific, HIFF showcases features and documentaries from Asia, the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, and all films depict their region/culture in a culturally accurate way. HIFF is a statewide event and the only one of its kind in the U.S. It has more than one dozen screening sites on six Hawaiian Islands and draws an audience of 65,000 or more from around the state, the nation and the world. For more information, please visit www.hiff.org

DECEMBER
HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS & THE HOLIDAY SEASON – Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Palm trees sway, the sun shines and not a snowflake to be seen but it is still easy to see when it's beginning to look like Christmas on Oahu. Holiday craft fairs abound and at night the famous Honolulu City Lights displays Hawaiian holiday cheer complete with the Hawaiian Mr. and Mrs. Claus adorning City Hall.