Did ya know that the Honolulu City Light started back in da mid-80's?…read more The tradition started back in 1985, it was an idea from the honorable Frank F. Fast (da BESTEST Honolulu mayor)! A little history about this wonderful event - https://www.honolulucitylights.org/our-story#:~:text=1985,Honolulu%20City%20Lights%E2%80%9D%20Is%20Born From a simple 50 foot Christmas tree that was installed on the courtyard of Honolulu Hale back in 1985.........through the years this holiday event has greatly expanded with a lot more holiday displays to see. One of the most iconic displays on the Honolulu Hale courtyard is the "Shaka" Santa, & Tutu Mele. The event is free, and there are numerous holiday displays on the courtyard, as well as inside of Honolulu Hale. Shout out to the hard working city workers who take the time to put up the holiday displays, as it takes a lot of time to do this. The holiday displays are usually put up around Thanksgiving time, with a big Christmas tree lighting ceremony event on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. The holiday display stays here for about a month, then it is usually taken down after the new year. Loved by locals, as well as visitors, if you're ever visiting da 808 in December, don't miss out! Make da trip down to Honolulu Hale to see this wonderful holiday display. Merry Christmas!

This is our new family tradition. The whole family enjoyed checking out the themed Christmas trees…read moreand we made a contest to bet which the other like the most. The Shaka Santa and lit tree in the front is a show stopper. Although there are a lot of visitors and can be a little chaotic for those who avoid people, the holiday spirit will get you excited and it is FREE. Even free parking!

My favorite place to celebrate the Bon Season and the start of summer!…read more Mōili'ili Summer Festival and Bon Dance is a great place to celebrate it all the Bon Festival, start of Summer and even Tanabata or the Star Festival, which they do have an area that dedicate that with a beautiful description of those where new or unfamiliar with the meaning and representation of each decor and attire and just the foods and entertainment that goes with the events. As always to support with a donation or to purchase shirts and towels is a great way to show some love this year they have a few collaboration which really got me excited is with Eden In Love, Sumo Fish and Asato!!! Gosh yes I did get some Love from Eden with their super cute tote I couldn't resist and yasss a shirt from Sumo Fish I'm in love with! The line for Asato was cray cray so I decided on other treats. Fujiyama Texas always yummy as I Mom really wanted to go this year so she got their Pork Belly Udon which I got last year and knew it was a great choice as it was a bowl filled with perfectly cooked udon in a light a flavorful broth topped with the load of thin sliced pork belly she ate it all up. I decided to go in a different direction and saw Hott Potstickers...ooooo!!! Love love looooove potstickers I stood in the line which moved fairly well there was four types to choose from and I got the Curry Chicken and is $13 for 10pcs or make it a combo with tea for $18/$19 but just the potstickers will do me fine and these good sized pieces was nice! The skin was a bit thicker like a mandoo put are pan fried crisp with probably a steamed finish is seriously exactly how I love mines prepared. As we all settled with our sips and bites we enjoyed the many many many dancers as I've never seen so many people dancing in unison is breathtaking the weather was nice and calm though the crowd probably made it hotter than it probably is. There's so much vendors here it is much more a festival than your typical Bon Dance but it's so festive and so much to choose from it's seriously my favorite. Thank you to my bestie Tamilyn for getting me and mom some drinks from Tropical Wai that really hit the spot you're so thoughtful and kind I'm so blessed you got got meet mom and enjoy this event for your first time and now know why this is my favorite we will be so prepared for next year! Thank you!

Decent festival, this seems more of a festival than a bon dance which seems secondary to the food…read moretrucks/booths and retail vendors. The bon dance itself has a nice mix of live and recorded music. They were behind schedule at certain points so it seemed like certain groups sets were not that long. Favorite Eats: + Shoyu Pork, it was much more tasty this year with the actual pork being much more flavorful. The portion size was definitely larger with them giving a larger serving of the pork itself. Could have done with less rice though. + Yakisoba, was surprised that it was actually tasty. Plus the container it came in held a good amount of noodles. Cons: - It was $20 for handicap/disabled people with parking placards to park in the lot next to the event. In the past there used to be free handicap parking. Plus they packed us in with none of the stalls having an access aisle.

Welcome Year of the Fire Horse 2026!…read more What a wonderful festival held in Honolulu's Chinatown this year! Thank you my Yelp friend Irene M. for taking me on this wonderful cultural adventure today. Lots of walking, cultural activities, memorable sights to see and foodie fun and tastes! Lion dances, firecrackers, delicious new year food and so much more to explore and enjoy. Please enjoy the pictures and videos. Kung Hei Fat Choi (Cantonese) Congratulations and be prosperous, wishing wealth and good fortune in the coming year! Xīn nián kuài lè (Mandarin) New Year Happiness Blessings to all in 2026!

Happy Lunar New Year…read more.. Thank you to fellow Yelp friend Jackie K for keeping me company as I really always wanted to experience the festivities which I never get to see with my work schedule but this year I was blessed to have the time to enjoy it thank you to my work who allowed it. 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse and there was no shortage of expressing it throughout the various biz with plushies, shirts and lucky charms of course but I was so impressed of the various layout with A'ala Park was filled with activities for the keiki that I wouldn't mind doing myself lol! Beretania Street was the place filled with tents of various food and retail shopping. Each end of the block party had a tent for entertainment is very impressive as I enjoyed the taiko performance as we got Jai which is a traditional dish for the Lunar New Year made by Legends I also got some noodles as well for such a reasonable price. Not kidding about how much this festival is embraced by the community as the crowd got intense I did arrive early enough to get a great parking which is highly recommended though it does get busy so plan accordingly as I really had a great time and thank you again for it all my friend. Thank you!

It's Kaimuki's own street bazaar, complete with vendors and a festive atmosphere to ring in the…read more2012 holiday spending blitz. I first noticed this event a few weeks out on a banner posted at the former Liliuokalani Elementary School walking home. The event is mostly on Waialae Avenue, with one part on 12th Avenue going just past the First Hawaiian Bank. Since I live in the area, I just walked to this event without much thought. If you require parking, there is street parking past 7-Eleven on Waialae Avenue, paid parking at the Kaimuki Municipal parking lot, paid parking lot behind 3660 On the Rise on Wilhelmina Rise. It was a hot, humid day and it probably took about 20 minutes to see everything. You get pretty much everything here: from food, clothing, and specialty items, including jewelry and other nicknacks. From Waialae Ave and Koko Head Ave to Waialae Ave and Sierra Dr, it was certainly a short stretch of road for a road showcase that displays what is unique to Kaimuki and the surrounding communities. Its strange that there were vendors that were not even part of the Kaimuki business community and had set up shop to sell and promote themselves and their business. White tents lined the street, along with a stage in the middle of the festival, which a mc and a young singer belted out some songs while I was there. There was plenty of people checking things out. While I didn't buy anything at the time, it's pretty cool to have these community type events to showcase the community and the common bonds that make everyone of us who live here be proud to live, work, and play in Kaimuki. While I was disappointed at the lack of variety of stuff to be offered and the small event venue, it was a positive experience that I hope that it will be a continued event that will be a regular thing at various points of the year. Support local! B+

Celebrate Kaimuki Kanikapila gets better every year!…read more What is it? An annual celebration / craft fair / street festival put together by the Kaimuki Business & Professional Association (KBPA) to celebrate local thriving businesses and the Kaimuki community. Think of it as a mini block party craft fair with food and live entertainment. Here's what I remember for this year (2012): - Bella Mia - pizza, calzones, etc. - Happy Days Restaurant - the dim sum looked great, but I didn't buy any this year - Bentos Mochi & Delectables - Primo Popcorn - Boy Scouts & KC Waffle Dogs - I had to buy one and I'm glad I was able to support the cute little Boy Scouts! - Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry - I'm already registered, but I was glad to see these guys here - North Shore Goodies - Dressings, sauces and syrups galore. The bf and I are a fan of their dressings, as we have some at home. But I always love sampling their stuff. - Olay's Thai Food - I wanted a spring roll so badly, but it's too hot today. - Waiola Burger - I ordered a burger bc the sample was so darned good. At least I know the mix is sold at Don Quijote! - Ono Pops Hawaii - Super awesome on a hot day like today! I had the POG. YUM. - Royal Hawaiian Hot Dog Co. - hot dogs and stuff Where is it? On Waialae, between Koko Head Ave. and 11th Ave. How much is it? Admission is FREE! What about parking? - Kaimuki Municipal Lots 1 & 2 - AMPCO Lot (Behind 3660 Wilhelmina Rise) - Street Parking **Make sure to stop by the Kaimuki Business & Professional Association (KBPA) booth (on 12th, near the stage): http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nseZHuXjYFoEfIbdnR6BiA?userid=U-7EVbeRf1wlSZfHW_gujQ#N6oRw96BKlqE9vzmfIelvQ .. to buy a CKK Coupon Booklet: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nseZHuXjYFoEfIbdnR6BiA?userid=U-7EVbeRf1wlSZfHW_gujQ#fai4fxj9K9vvU039Vh3HtA It's packed with coupons for nearby Kaimuki businesses and it's only $1. Proceeds support the KBPA scholarship fund, revitalization projects and community events. So........... Even if you're not a Kaimuki resident, I encourage you to Celebrate Kaimuki anyway! It's a great little (pet friendly) get together with food, crafts and live entertainment. See you guys next year!

Products made by moms, but if you aren't a mom, don't worry, there are plenty of products for you…read moretoo! Tshirts, jewelry, purses, artwork, candles, granola, etc. There is a lot of space for strollers and wild childs like my twin sons to run around. The Yelp booth has crayons and paper placemats for kids to color to their heart's content. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day, so If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, head on down and buy them at the door and support your local mommy vendors! Much mahalos to Yelp for the free tickets!

I was so excited to receive free Yelp admission for my daughter and I to attend the Mom Made Market…read more... Mahalo Yelp :) I hadn't been to the Convention Center before so I wasn't sure what to expect ... it was big, clean, and easy enough to navigate. Glad the tickets were free because parking is a $10 flat rate. The room was huge and the market took up half the space .... lots of room for many more vendors next year :) I specifically went to visit the Milolii Love, Storybook Entertainment & Shaklee booths ... www.MiloliiLove.com www.healthyliving808.com www.storybookhawaii.com ( see pics.) Was impressed and inspired by all these talented Mom's ... very nice and beautifully presented products ! My daughter enjoyed pics with the Princesses, crafting at the Yelp booth and eating some delicious Macaroons :) We spent about a hour browsing around and look forward to next year :)

We had a blast at the 2026 Korean Festival -10 AM to 8:00 PM at Kapiʻolani Regional Park and…read moreBandstand. We found a $10 fundraiser parking at Waikiki elementary school. It was a short walk to the festival. There was a row of food vendors ranging from church fundraisers to actual Korean restaurants booths. I got a matcha coconut water drink $9 from a restaurant and some kimbap $5 from the Korean American veterans. I enjoyed the on stage performance of K pop, traditional Korean music and dancing. There were some Korean skincare booths as well. I paid $10 to try on an authentic hanbok. It was so much fun. Plenty of shade to help stay cool.

Feeling festive…read more.. Love this new convenient location for their 2024 festival at the Kaka'ako Mauka Gateway Park...where!? You can't miss it on Ala Moana Blvd it's the grassy area just past Kewalo Basin. Though many of the surrounding areas are metered parking just a bit away at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park is free parking. With the the festival was very well organized and had much more food this year as a couple of years ago I left hungry and sad though wished that this year they have more snacks to purchase with the leftover tickets that I ended up giving to a friend and they didn't have a soju drinking area this year but in general was a very festival celebration of the Korean culture. Thank you!

Held on the first Saturday of March this year, the event blocked out the entire main street of…read moreWaikiki. I came at night for the cooler weather. Tons of food vendors, crafts, goods that were sold. The variety of food was extensive with long lines at most. Fun, vibrant energy at this event.

Another great street festival on the main drag of Waikiki. Lots of food and cool giftsread more

What the matcha…read more.. Yes hearing that Fishcake in Kaka'ako is having their Matcha Fest after the last one was just beyond insanely fun you know I was excited to see who will be stirring up some yummy sips and treats this latest March and they sure did not disappoint. The first was back in December 2025 and you know as an official Matcha lover since forever what a dream idea to assemble various small local biz to a single spot and showcase all things matcha theme...gah! With local crafties like Green Times, Kynd Tea, Aloha Matcha, Ta.Ma.Da Sweets, Mashio Project, As You Like, Moku Matcha, I am Tanukis just to name a few. As line forms long before the event started it was just one spot that I had would have a chance and it was Moku Matcha which served several but it was the Black Sesame Matcha which sounded very calming and with no added sweetener the black sesame totally came through and what a treat along with their smooth matcha it was a very elegant sip. Right beside them I just couldn't resist items from I am Tanukis who what the load of matcha products as this woman owned and run designer crafted all these cute graphics that I just had to have and why not to brighten my spot along with stickers and notes I even received a gift with purchase. A crafter myself I simply do love and appreciate all that they do and to make it something of their own using the product that I love and that many didn't think would even be a possibility to enjoy is mind blowing as the lines forming goes all the way down the block, Matcha Fest success is all done one cup at a time. Thank you!