"Listening to the Christmas Spirit"…read more Maybe it's easier for people in colder climates to get into the Christmas spirit. There's that white stuff they call snow and all those fancy clothing they get to wear like mittens, "ear puffs" and scarves... What are galoshes?? We, here in Hawaii, have to imagine "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire", "Frosty the Snowman", and "White Christmas". While these are familiar tunes, we really have no hands-on experiences. What's a "sleigh bell" in a "Winter Wonderland"? Therefore, the music is a very important part of Christmas Spirit. What we lack in temperature and visuals, we can make up in song, imagination, and feeling. I just close my eyes and enjoy live music like that from "Tuba Christmas". Thanks to fellow Yelper, Ric C., for mentioning this concert to me. I was unable to attend the one at Ward Warehouse because it was the same time as the 5th Annual Yelp Hawaii Cookie Swap. Fortunately, I was able to get to the one at Kahala Mall. It was fabulous! The Emcee was so entertaining and informative! He introduced the eldest and youngest tuba player. He recognized the band member who travelled the farthest; the one who played in the most US states, the first timer, etc. The audience learned about the various types of tubas and their unique sounds. The Emcee stated that they never know how many tuba players will show up. So although the seats on the stage were all filled, many more chairs were set up around the stage to accomodate MORE tuba players! It was an amazing FREE concert which I highly recommend. Just go to their website: www.tubachristmas.com to find their location (all over the USA) and dates/times. It's a real Christmas treat!!

"Heavy Metal, Hawaiian style"…read more "TubaChristmas" is an annual concert event that is held around the country that allows players of that largest of brass instruments to strut their stuff and is held in December of each year. Tubachristmas was conceived in 1974 by Harvey Phillips as a tribute to his teacher and mentor William J. Bell a legendary Tuba player who was born on Christmas Day in 1902. Participants contribute $10 to the Harvey Philips Foundation and get a cool Tuba Christmas button, a chance to jam with other Tubaists young and old, and get the satisfaction knowing that your money will go towards a scholarship for a deserving music student. A great way for ex-Tuba and euphonium players to bring out their horns for an annual toot! Not too many places for us tuba players to play. In it's 41st year, TubaChristmas here in Honolulu is usually played at Kahala Mall and also Ala Moana Center or Ward Warehouse and sometimes at other venues. Concerts have also taken place on Maui. So if you would like to hear a fun and different style of Christmas music come to a TubaChristmas concert, you will be glad you did :)

I'm so glad that my Yelp cuz, Ric C., is First to Review and First to Tip for this special Landmark…read morein Honolulu! He's a great writer and a super Yelper for putting this unique, homemade Holiday Display on the Yelp map! When I was a little kid (I'm a tall kid now), my parents used to pack my three sisters and me into the station wagon and we'd take a drive to Pauoa Valley nearby to our family home in Nu'uanu Valley. We would all get excited as dad turned the corner onto Booth Road to a magical world every December! We would squeal with delight as we recognized favorites (like Santa and his reindeer, Mulan, Snow White, and Bambi) and new characters (such as Minions, Angry Birds, and Tsum Tsums) cut out from wood each year! We'd try to be the first to spot "Where's Waldo"! I truly appreciate all of these fond memories! A relatively recent addition to the continuously growing display is the Wishing Well. Just drop a few coins in and make a wish! The collection goes to a worthy local charity! This past year, 2015, was a special one because Mr. Ing reached the milestone age of 100 years old! CONGRATULATIONS on a full life! Thanks for the happiness you've brought to many families and children since 1957! You're awesome, Mr. Ing!

Holiday displays- the traditional perspective…read more The coolest local holiday display in Honolulu. Pauoa valley is an older, established town just above downtown Honolulu and is home to Pauoa Chop Suey and Lynn's Saimin and Cookie shop (well known businesses to da Yelp community) but tucked away in this sleepy, tranquil little community is the coolest holiday display in Honolulu, maybe all of Hawaii- the Ing curbside display on Booth road. Mr. Noble Ing has been displaying handmade wooden cutouts of popular and iconic characters since 1957 when his lawn display consisted of a simple nativity scene. Over the decades, the scenes have changed and have been rotated because of the shear volume of available offerings. From Aladdin to Power Rangers, from the Simpsons to the Minions, if it has been a popular figure in the movies or TV, you will probably find it here at the Ing display. The one constant has been "Where's Waldo"-the venerable striped shirt figure is hiding in the yard. can you find him among the multitude of displays? Not the most high tech of displays but definitely the most endearing, this display has been enjoyed by generations of islanders and visitors alike. A loving treat that everyone looks forward to every December. 2015 is a special year as it marks the 100th birthday for Mr. Ing. Happy Birthday Mr. Ing and thank you for the many decades of holiday enjoyment you have provided to the community. Mahalos!!!

The 2024 fair had terrible food!! I don't mind paying higher prices because it's a fundraiser but…read morethe product should be excellent for this price. The only thing that was good quality was the malasada and the terri cheeseburger. The absolute worst was the noodles. I think it's a really good set up for younger kids and lots of space for them to play and have fun. I saw a lot of families on the grass with chairs/ blankets so great family environment. They just need to up their food game .... They advertise a lot of it as gourmet .... Maybe perfect the basics and start there.

Attended the 2023 Iolani fair for the first time and it was a bit disappointing compared to the…read morePunahou carnival. The fair is definitely smaller than the punahou carnival: less food for sure. The food was a bit disappointing and overpriced. The gumbo is $8 for a tiny bowl with mostly rice. The kalua pork bowl and French fries were too salty. The Greek wrap is nothing green about it: old cold chicken with lettuce. It felt like a waste of money with disappointing food.

Thank you fellow Yelp Elite Ray L. for creating this page. I initially don't like driving in…read moreWaikiki but tonight our group of five decided to walk off dinner :) After a very short drizzle, we were able to safely walk along Kalakaua Ave., coned off from vehicle traffic. It appears that both locals and tourists enjoyed walking around this festival. I felt safe, no one got rowdy, and it was a pleasant walk to see and support our local arts, crafts, and food vendors. They also had a variety of beverage vendors. I'm not very good in art so I can certainly appreciate seeing the fine arts and crafts available for sale. These would make great gifts for the holidays.

This was so fun! There was foods, jewelry, clothes & other knickknacks for sale. They closed down…read morepart of the street & it was just a fun atmosphere.

We took a fabulous tour of the Honolulu Fire Department Museum. The tour was free but we had to…read moreorder tickets in advance and tickets are limited. The tour lasts about an hour. Four different active firefighters served as outstanding docents for the tour. We toured and learned about the Honolulu Headquarters. The fire department was started by King Kamehameha III in 1851 and is the only US fire department started by a King. We saw several memorials that honor fallen firefighters. In the museum, we saw early fire trucks and other interesting early fire fighting artifacts. We learned about the amazing roll of the firefighters during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I appreciated the educational segment about fire safety in the home and the proper use and care of smoke detectors. My granddaughter enjoyed seeing the trucks up close. There is free on site parking behind the building. Restroom facilities are available during the tour. I highly recommend the tour and visit to the Museum for history buffs or fire safety enthusiasts. The program is suitable for all ages.

The tour here was so great! They put tickets out a month in advance and it is totally free! The…read morefirefighters are so knowledgeable and friendly. My two keiki had the best time I would definitely recommend checking it out.

I'd say, of any Orchid Society throughout the State, Windward Orchid Society is doing what I'd…read moreexpect a society to do - promote orchids and flowers, showcase rare and innovative species, and provide the public with education about how to grow and nurture plants properly. What I liked the best were low costs for quality orchids and other plants. My partner found some amazing, rare species worth triple the value. Also, it was just great to meet professional growers from nurseries throughout the State, including the neighbor islands. Apparently the best Orchid Show to visit is the Hilo Orchid show first week of August - so FYi and mark your calendars if you're interested and did not know.

The Windward Orchid Society Spring Show is the best and largest show on Oahu. Unfortunately because…read moreof the COVID-19 potential for infection it has been cancelled for 2020. Everyone is welcome to come to the monthly meeting in the King School cafeteria in Kaneohe. It is held at 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

Forth of July is always a great celebration honoring America! . The fireworks show at Magic Island…read moreis truly an awesome way to end the night. If you have not seen one plan to go to one. We have gone several times and have sat in different parts of the park with no disappointments. This year we sat near the pond across from Magic Island near the bridge and the view there was spectacular! When the show was done we exited the park quickly before the mass crowd and walked over to the shopping center where we parked on the mauka structure 3rd floor. It was super quick to exit! Again thanks to Ala Moana Center for sponsoring this fireworks show!

Ala Moana used to have the most amazing fireworks display but this is the 4th year in a row (2024)…read morewith no fireworks. So a big thumbs down.

Pet expo 2025 def had less vendors than last year but it was still fun! Seemed like all the booths…read morewere jammed to the left which made the aisles pretty narrow. It is probably best to use a carrier or stroller if you have a smaller dog too. Longest line is always vca and probably a 40+ min wait in line. It's always our first stop. Parking is $8 this year or street parking. Sunday was def a lot more mellow-er.

Every year I look forward to this FREE event. There is something for almost every type of pet…read moreowner/animal lover. Dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, turtle, parrots, chickens, rodents, and more! This is a great resource for a pet parent to get info to care for your animal and more. There are lots of samples and discounts to go around too. I can't wait to go again next year!