Celebrating the culture... No one does it like the Okinawan Festival as this year they've done it again and what an amazing event. Keeping at the Hawaii Convention Center is a real struggle to get to though the cool air conditioned venue with lots of seating provided to watch the entertainment and to enjoy your foodie feast does make it a fun and festive place to celebrate it all. In the past it has been outdoors at Kapiolani Park which in my opinion was much more difficult to enjoy it all so this is a refreshing chance of scenery and this year it's all in one level so you don't need to find the various rooms upstairs to shop for the merchandise and view the historic background of it all. The countless volunteers and groups made it a fun for all ages as we actually wanted to play some of the children's games shows how fun it truly was. I did get to peek in the Awamori Garden which was lovely oasis to get an adult sip along with some exclusive snacks found only in that area though with countless areas to browse including the craft section it was a great experience and can't wait for 2025. Thank you! read more

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I purchased a one day entrance ticket online and it was easy getting scanned and in. Parked at Ala Moana and paid what I feel was exorbitant prices for parking ($16.75 for 3 hours-I miss the days of free parking). The layout is well organized but I wish the signs were bigger. Got my haul from Hapa House, Sumofish, and my andagi and okidogs. No bon dance this year, but still a fun outing! read more

Celebrating Okinawan culture in Honolulu, Hawaii... This year, the 42nd Annual Okinawan Festival was held at the Hawaii Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, August 31, and September 1, 2024. Admission fee was $10 for adults; $5 for seniors (age 65+); and free for children age 12 and below We parked for free at Ala Moana Center and walked over. I really didn't want to go. I used to work at the Festival when I was a member of the Hawaii United Okinawan Association (HUOA) because I played in their volleyball league. Our volleyball league ran the Children's Game Booths at Kapiolani Park. We had to get there early to set up and stay late to clean up. It was labor intensive! I have stress just remembering those times... My former co-worker really wanted to go to the Festival. She had purchased A LOT of script from her neighbor who was part of the Live Entertainment. My friend texted me several times and called me to discuss where to meet. She bribed me to go by telling me she was going to give me some script and pay for my Admission Fee... LOL! So... I went... It wasn't as bad as I remembered! The air conditioning, convenient restrooms, and excellent organization made it pleasant! Maybe the challenge was the line for script. There seemed to be only one place to buy script, and it was far away from the food booths. My friend had so much script that she sold some to strangers on our table - she overheard their conversation! As a visitor to the Festival (not as a worker), I was able to wander through the Craft Area, walk past the plants for sale and the Children's Games, stand in line for food, browse through the Country Store, and enjoy the Live Entertainment! It was nice that there were tables and chairs for customers to sit and dine-in! We didn't sign up for the special art demonstration where you can make traditional art... maybe we can do that next year! read more

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Awesome festival! Wish I would've attended sooner. Great celebration of community and culture through arts, music, language, food, history, and more. Now that the festival is at the convention center, there's more space for so much more than before. I enjoyed the anda-dog, and it was fun checking out the various vendors. So many creative things going on! I bought a hand towel made by hand on a loom. When I gave it to a friend who crochets, he was super stoked. Thanks, Aunty Helen, for your talents! I enjoyed learning about my heritage and didn't previously know that there are so many languages across the Ryukyu islands that span from Kyushu to Taiwan. read more

Okinawan Festival - Anda-dog - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Attended the 2023 Okinowan festival at the Convention Center. First impressions are that there are a lot of people here. Venue seems pretty organized at first . The food lines were separated, so that if you wanted multiple items, you had to stand and cue in a separate line for each item. That was probably my biggest gripe. Food was OK, nothing special, and not something that I would classify as special given the quality of food on the island. Entertainment was on point. Got to see Jake Shimabakuro and several other musical acts. In addition there was the Bon Dance which was a treat to watch. Glad I attended, but the lines to the food were unbearable. read more

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The line is not as long as the Made in Hawaii Festival. The good thing was you could just walk in at opening. No long lines. Buy your ticket online avoid the line to purchase an entrance fee just walk into the festivities. Food line wasn't as long as last year as we went when people were watching the show. The disappointment came in the "Champuru" which is usually made with bitter melon. It was actually Cabbage & Shoyu pork. No bitter melon. Luckily they take Cash & Card to purchase Scrip. One sheet is $10 a $1 for 1 scrip. It is a fund raiser so make sure you buy a lot of scrip because the prices are very high! The best deal in food which had the longest line was the Andagi. 3 Andagi for $4. read more

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Went during a Saturday. Parking was very limited... Located in the convention center from 8/31-9/01/19. It is pretty crowded and hot. There are shuttles that cost $3 that are go to and from the civic center and McKinley high school. In order to purchase a lot of the things, scripts need to be purchase before. There is a lot of history and very knowledgeable people that are friendly and willing to educate. There is also a website of the information of all the performances and what the Okinawa Festival is all about. read more

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Great festival. Especially for families with young kids! I've been attending for many years already. read more

Okinawan Festival - Okinawan Festival- Hawaii Convention Center - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Being half Okinawan, I was of course jovial about attending this free, 2-day event with some of my immediate family members for the first time. While I can't say whether or not being outdoors or in was better, I will always prefer to be outside. TIMELINE: The festival started in 1982 and has grown ever since, relocating four times to accommodate the increasing numbers along with other factors. 1982 Ala Moana Beach Park 1985 Thomas Square Park 1990 Kapiolani Park 2018 Hawaii Convention Center THE EVENT: It's jam-packed with films, performances, dancing, crafts, food, fashion, grocery, plants and exhibits. There used to be an andagi cooking competition between Okinawan clubs which allowed patrons to eat fresh, hot andagi. But because the venue was indoors, they were cooked offsite and brought in. Bummer. The majority of the event took place on the first level of the convention center in the gargantuan Kamehameha Exhibit Hall which spans just over 204,000 sf. An obon dance floor took centerstage with surrounding chairs, entertainment stage with more seats, food booths, beer stand, and several exhibit vendors were in this one room. I enjoyed my all-time favorite pig's feet soup, served piping hot with mustard cabbage, togan, daikon and konbu. So delish! The third level of the convention center features a theater where a film about tofu was shown. Smaller meeting rooms housed vendors selling groceries, crafts and clothing. I picked up a very cool t-shirt and some Okinawan instant soba. The rooms were packed with people but flowed smoothly. SCRIPS: The majority of payments were done by scrip only, though a few places would also accept cash and cards. One scrip is equal to 50-cents, sold at booths throughout the event. PARKING: On top of $10 convention center parking, a pay-for shuttle ran between the center and McKinley High School. Luckily we were staying at the Ala Moana Hotel so we walked over. PROHIBITED ITEMS: Animals (sans for service ones), hard shell coolers, lawn chairs. OVERALL: We went on Saturday morning for a few hours, just enough time to eat, purchase items and browse the vendors. Other hardcore family members stayed longer and went on Sunday too. Food like the pig's feet soup, andagi and andadog constantly ran out and lines were long. I luckily got my soup without issue but didn't get to try any andagi or andadog as they were sold out during my time there. Most of my family concluded that being indoors was best as it was cool and clean. Also, pushing someone in a wheelchair was easier on concrete and carpet than off-roading on grass and dirt in Kapiolani Park. I don't need to go again but glad I got to experience it. read more

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Parking $10 in the Convention Center. Better to go far left from the ticket machine bc the front row stalls fill up fast and better chance of getting a stall close to the walkway. Mind the reserved parking signs. (Gov Ige, Mrs. Ige, both have stalls) Pay for your parking right when you walk out of the garage, to the right. The booth closes, but I don't know if you can get out with an unpaid parking ticket. Scrip booths are located on the third floor, in the lobby on the ground floor AND inside the first floor exhibition. No need to stand in the ridiculously long line, just because it's there! We are such lemmings!! See a line, stand in it. Everything for sale is scrips only, except for the craft fair room. Cash, Credit Card and Scrips accepted as forms of payment. Restrooms are all over the place. Inside the exhibition on the ground floor, the main stage, food booths, plants, kids games, geological society, and general store, and lots of places to sit and eat. Up on the third floor is a craft fair room, Japan food products for sale, historical exhibits, and restrooms! Scrips are $.50 One sheet is $10 Anda dog $2.50 Bottle Water $2.00 9 scrips read more

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The Okinawan Festival organizers aren't afraid of no ghosts. Wind and rain however, are another story. Let's just say that there's been a change in venue to the Hawaii Convention Center for 2018. The bon dance and hot food are located in the main exhibition hall, with the third floor hosting a number of demonstrations, dry good market, exhibitors, crafts, and so on and so forth. There's a movie theater showing various Okinawan movies at a nominal fee. It's still scripted based, but some craft fair does take cash and credit. The main floor also hosts a kiddie center with rides and games as well as large stage for performances. There's also a plant sale for those lucky enough to have a green thumb. Food is extensive with andagi, andagi dogs, champuru (Japanese stir fry), deluxe bento, chicken plate, yakitori chicken, chili and rice, Okinawan soba, Okinawan sweet potato, pigs feet soup, Yaiksoba, maki sushi, and various beverages. Food lines, particularly the andagi line can be epic and food does start to run out around 5 PM. I went on Saturday with a friend at 3:45 and Yakisoba and pigs feet were out. Yakitori Chicken soon followed. So go early, or risk fewer choices. I had the Okinawan soba with came in a hot soup with braised meat and pickled raddish. Noodles were perfectly cooked, the meat was tasty and tender, and the broth was flavorful. I also got the Maki Sushi, but instead of cutting it into 8 pieces, someone got lazy and left it at four. The dance itself is not based around a Yagura, but around a large flag. There are plenty of chairs provided, but if you can't snag one of those, the floor is concrete so at least your butt doesn't get muddy or dirty watching the dance. One issue with being on concrete is that it is harder on one's feet. Another issue of indoors is that the sound reverberates. Parking is $10 at the Convention Center or $3 if you park at Mckinley High School with a round trip by shuttle, but a huge number of people can be seen parking at Ala Moana and just walking over. Note, I'm not telling you to abuse that, but merely providing an objective observation of Festival attendee behavior. Wink, smile, wink, smile. read more

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covid definitely created some waves for the okifest, BUT the organizers really came through and did an okinawan FEASTival! good part was that, by doing it this way it opened up the event to a lot of different restaurants. instead of being limited to whats available at the event, they were doing week long food at a ton of different spots, so you could have your pick and your fill for the whole week! i didnt go to all the places, but i did get the anda(spam) dog from hanks haute dog on tuesday, thick cuts of spam in a thin layer of andagi. held up well, but the andagi layer was too thin for my liking. saturday we picked up our preorder from pagoda. they did a collab with kc waffle dog, so we got a waffle dog and the rafute dog. the pork did not fit well in the hotdog mold, so it was more like eating a sandwich as the thing completely fell apart. sunday was the last day. i picked up my preorder of okidog WITH fries from gochi grill, and my mini andadog and mini andagis from aloha pokestop. way less crowded than the actual event, which was another plus. but you definitely miss out on all the other activities and goodies that you can pick up from the regular festival. read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE... did I mention that I LOVE this festival? Look forward to this event every year since I moved to town from the westside... and now we have a friend that lives in the neighborhood, so parking isn't an issue and walking to the event at Kapiolani Park is part of the fun! Anyhow, this event usally coincides with this Obon season and if you know Obon for food like I do... get nothing but Grinds! Undagi, Okonomiyaki, Ox Tail Soup, Shoyu Pork, and KC Drive Inn Waffle Dog... If your not familiar with the Waffle Dog, go try and see what you think... and my favorite this year... Shaved Ice! I know what you're thinking... how is Shaved Ice an Okinawan item? It's not, but on a day like these, you'll thank me later... this day was the tail end of Summer and boi was it humid! Sweating while walking to the event, sweating walking around, waiting in lines, very little wind... believe when I say, the Shaved Ice was the hit of the day! This event is also very, very Keiki friendly! From Kimono dress ups, to learning to dance, to face paints, and you can't miss the dozen (over stated) bounce houses, which I'd like to mention is very pricey, but gives the keiki time to enjoy and I'm sure those will be the only thing they want to go to... but make sure you put and bring sunblock, your own container of water (or refreshment of your choice) and be sure to enjoy the shade, wherever you can find some and soak in the day! Till next year, Grind On! Pau! read more

Okinawan Festival - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's always fun attending the annual Okinawan Festival. It comes around once a year so I try my best to attend. I usually go around 5pm-6pm, when they start the bon dance. I don't dance, but it's fun watching everyone do it. So many people come out for the bon dance. The only problem with going so late is that they run out of some of the food. That's the whole reason I go. I usually get the andadog, andagi, and shave ice. If I were to go earlier, I would have gotten the yakitori sticks and Okinawan soba. The line was so long for the soba. I saw the andagi cart rolling around this year. If you buy from the cart, you don't have to stand in the andagi line. It was 3 andagi for 5 scripts. Scripts are 50 cents each. You have to stand in line for scripts since they don't take cash at the stalls. The andagi at the festival is one of the best that I've had. It's super crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Usually, andagi is yucky after a few hours. You have to eat it hot or else it's an oily mess. The one's here, I ate after a few hours and it was still good. read more

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After getting stormed out at a Kapiolani Park a couple of years ago, the Okinawan Festival has moved to the Hawaii Convention Center. While I miss the large outdoor venue, I have to say I'm surprised at how well the Center is working so far. Food lines (especially the andagi line) are still long, but no worse than at the park. And the A/C is a lot more comfy! I noticed families spreading their blankets in the exhibit hall just like it was the park. Entertainment was great, with the addition of a special awamori tasting with food pairings from restaurants like Senia, MW, Agu, Alan Wong's, etc. This year also took advantage of the Center's theater by included several screenings of the set in Okinawa production of Jimami Tofu by BananaMana Films. read more

Okinawan Festival - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My wife and I attend this event every year that it was available and the best part of it being at the Convention Centers is that the whole venue is air conditioned. We parked at Ala Moana and walked the short distance to the HCC. It was Sunday and I believe that most people came on the Saturday because the crowd wasn't bad. As we entered, we went straight for the shopping and exhibits first. There are script booths only on the food side of the venue so if you want to shop at the store you need to buy script to purchase goods. My wife purchased a few items from the craft booths and had to walk to the cashier to pay for the goods and then go back to each booth to receive the items. This festival makes it hard on the customers to make purchases. We are not big eaters and had no idea of how much script tom purchase so instead of checking out the food, the crowded lines and the prices we just visited the exhibits and then we left. The plant sale had some really nice stuff and the prices were decent. In all, I am glad we went on Sunday and avoided the Saturday rush, bu this event is not high on our priority list to attend. read more

Two day event at the Convention Center. My first time to attend this festival. First impression? Just normal. I'm not that entertained but it's a good event though to try it at least. ~ Maybe because it's too crowded! Its feels like we're drowning inside the convention center. People come and go and sometimes they'll step on your foot. And if you try to find a chair for you to sit and tried to enjoy the meal you bought there, these people just don't care. Somehow like I can describe them greedy. They just put their stuff on the chair and leave and go on the queue for the food or something. I mean, come on, you gotta share the chair for those who wants to sit while munching their food. And then these people will come back after 30mins or so... People should not do that because we dont have plan to stick on the chair forever. We just want to sit to finish eating our food. Anyways, I hope they also take actions on that. ~ They got a long queue for Andagi. Good thing the line moves faster. Just a suggestion, maybe they can make two stalls for the Andagi since this is the highlight food of the festival event? In that way they can easily accommodate consumers? Anyways, that Andagi thing... Daaang! They're good. My husband do like it and we even fight at home on who's gonna take the last piece. Hahahaha. We love andagi... And the Anda Dog... ~ $10 for parking space $.50 per scrip $10 for one sheet scrip ~ At least try this event once. There were lots of stuffs esp. when you go on the 2nd level of the convention. Too bad they don't have english on their labeled package. So we decided not to buy anything coz we're too chicken and afraid that we prepare such food in a wrong instruction. ~ Enjoy weekend and happy juandering yelpers! read more

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What a delightful fun and music filled event highlighting Japanese culture and wonderful tastes and talents that satisfies young and old. Brought my lawn chairs and Japanese exchange students that loved every moment. Such a unique setting with shade trees surrounding the stage with white doves and pigeons swooping in and out of the trees as the joyful music echoes throughout the grounds. I must make time to explore the many related booths serving up Japanese flavors and the vast array of t-shirts and other goods. 35th year and there is no end to the good cheer! Aloha and a Happy Festival it was! read more

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Okinawan Festival....2018. New place - instead of Kapiolani Park, they opted for the Convention Center near Ala Moana. Understand the effort in trying to make it more accessible for the kupuna, but the inconsistent air conditioning in various rooms and exhibits made it very uncomfortble. You would think that having it semi inside would make it cooler - but the upstairs rooms and exhibits were ridiculously humid and hot. There are very little trades coming through the open area and the rooms? Well, thank god I had sweat wicking apparel on and took a shower after the gym! It was not a nice venue on a day like today. Some rooms had air con but the sheer number of people burping and such in the small rooms made it yucky.... The main floor was a lot better and more comfortable for the major food and entertainment so all was not lost.... Maybe it was the really humid day - but the air con was just not working at the second floor exhibits.....oh well. Too many people in the small rooms! I ate and drank. Enjoyed the culture. And saw several friends there. So, it is still a great celebration of 1/8 of me! haha.....Shoyu pork and hairy faces rule! See you next year - where? we see..... read more

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This was the first year that it was not held outdoors and at Kapiolani Park. Well that I know of since I've been going. This is also the first year I got to eat everything I wanted! Andagi. Yakisoba. Andadog. Champuru. Okidog. Yum! It was super packed and there were lines and lines for food. I went in the afternoon on the first day and it was chaotic. I went to the express andagi line and got 3 andagi and left. I heard people waited over an hour in some lines. The food was made upstairs and brought downstairs so you also had to wait for that as well. I went back at opening on the second day. My boyfriend and I had our plan and jumped in separate lines. Even though I was in the front, it still took awhile since not all the food can down at opening. There were great performances, a lot of interesting displays and crafts. There was also an awamori tasting and the traditional bon dance. I wish the festival went on longer, it ended earlier than usual on both days. As crowded as it is, people will brave the crowds for some andagi made with uvhinanchu pride. ******** I love andagi And yakisoba as well worth braving the crowds. read more

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Parking can be quite a hassle at KCC. It's best to go earlier or later afternoon. Most people go during the morning and early after and usually leave by 3 or 4pm. But since the festival starts on Saturday, there is also the KCC farmer's market going on in the morning until 11am so there will be trouble searching for parking spot. They have their usual andagi dog, andagi, yakisoba, chanpuru plates etc. Th chanpuru plates are worth it. Cost about $8 per plate or 18 scripts. The andagi cost $2.50 for 3 andagi or 3 scripts per 3. We brought our hydro flasks to avoid paying for beverages. Best idea ever. The arts and crafts and plant sale tents were so hot that you could feel the sweat going down your body. Too many bodies = one hellish 15 to 20 mins stroll through the aisles. The shuttle costed $3 per body for roundtrip. Kids 10 or under cost nothing. I told my mom oh how I wished I were that young and didn't have to pay for the shuttle fee. Sad to be aging slowly. Wear cool clothes such as climate cool wearing shirts and wear shorts. You will be dying in the sun. There is not many tables or benches to eat at so bring a mat or foldable chairs. read more

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Every year during Labor Day weekend in Kapiolani Park, the Hawaii United Okinawa Association hosts the Okinawan Festival. It is a great way to learn different aspects of the culture and experience something new. This is a really late review since the Festival was a few months ago, but the 2013 Festival was the first time I went. My friend would always take her son to the Festival every year and asked if my husband and I would like to go with them...she also played to our weakness - she said that they had really good andagi (Okinawan doughnut). Good andagi? We are definitely going. Keep in mind that it is an event held in Kapiolani Park, so you can imagine that parking can be hard to come by and the Festival is busy. We were lucky enough to find parking by the zoo, so it was not too far of a walk. Note to self...bring quarters for the street meters. When we arrived, there were many things going on - they had a performance/dance area with people getting ready for their next show, a large tent/make-shift shop where you can buy authentic Japanese/Okinawa goods and food (imagine the foods you find in Marukai but under a large tent), a second large tent with many vendors selling their crafts/products (kind of like a mini craft fair), another tent had booths where you can learn different aspects of the culture (one booth's specialty was that they were able to tell you the history behind an Okinawan last name), a bonsai tree exhibit, and, my favorite part, food booths! The food booths included andagi (of course!), fried noodles, and shaved ice. The andagi was really good - crisp outside with a slightly sweet, not-too-oily inside. Deep fried to donut perfection! The fried noodles were also delicious - not too salty, the right amount of noodles to garnishing ratio, and the perfect portion size. I also got a great deal in the store - I found a super cute Hello Kitty on Hanafuda cards on a small white board. read more

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I came for the Andadogggg!!! We tried almost everything here and everything was deliciousss!!! The shoyu pork was my favorite!! It comes in the Champuru plate & Oki Dog. The Champuru plate comes with 2 scoops of rice, shoyu pork & a cabbage, tofu, luncheon meat mixture. It was tasty but definitely a lot of food & only a good choice if you don't wanna eat anything else. The Oki Dog was huuuge! It comes with hot dog, chili, cabbage, & shoyu pork. It was was so full of flavor! Definitely a must try. The andadog of course is a staple! I usually get it with just ketchup. Must must try!! My favorite dishhhh!!! Parking is pretty difficult to find & the heat is soooo killer!!! Definitely recommend going in the afternoon/night. read more

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I'm a huge fan of festivals at Kapiolani Park :) Mostly because I can walk from home, so I don't have to deal with finding parking. Although I hear that the parking situation isn't bad if you park at KCC and take the shuttle. The Okinowan festival did not disappoint. I liked it even more than I liked the Korean festival and for those of you who know me, I looooove Korea. lol. Of course, the first thing to talk about is the food. It's set up differently in the sense that they don't have restaurants selling their own food. Everything is made by volunteers (?). It kinda reminds me of Punahou Carnival in a way. You have to purchase scrip first and then you get to wait in the sometimes ridiculously long lines. My friends and I were hungry, so we tried the andagi and andadog (like a corn dog, but with andagi batter instead of cornbread) first. We then moseyed over to the pigs feet soup and chicken nishime. Lastly, we waited in the longggg line for some yakisoba. Everything was delicious. Like the Korean festival, the Okinowan festival brought in a supermarket (don quiote) to sell japanese products at the park. I think you can buy most of the things at the supermarket, but some things I have never seen before. They also let you sample the snacks! It's a good place to spend your last scrip because you don't feel like youre wasting it :) The entertainment was bombbbb. Bon Dance in the park with happy tourists and locals!?! Awesome. I can't wait for next year's festival! read more

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The lines for food were insane,so we couldn't buy anything. Plants were very nice. Great that it's in this ACd venue but it's $10 for parking and $8.75/beer. read more

Okinawan Festival - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Haven't been to the Okinawan Festival in years. Probably more like decades, or close to that! It was a great event filled with lots of food, people, merchandise, and entertainment. This event was held at the Kapiolani Park at the end of Waikiki. The bandstand is where they held the entertainment and booths for food, merchandise, and plants were all strategically placed around. They had tons of food booths that they placed adjacent to each other. The lines were ridiculously long, but all worth the wait. It was a hot, sunny day to be out enjoying this annual festival. Smells of Chicken rotisserie, frying of andagi, and the sweet smells of shave ice syrup filled the park for all to enjoy. It had some plantation Iced tea, andagi, and maki sushi. Oh how good everything was. I also had a shave ice to kick off the festivities in the heat! Nothing like a good Ol' rainbow shave ice to cool down. So much goodies to choose from, but everything flavorful and tasty. Everything was awesome, so was the entertainment. Lots of music and dancing. There was a karate performance and taiko/eisa drum performers. Something fun for everyone in the family. Definitely looking forward to next year. read more

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First time going. I just have to say the food was terrible. I don't find any of the food they had was authentic. I would have expected it to be since it is an Okinawan Festival. The only thing I did like was the Andagi maybe the only thing that was authentic. Waste money for terrible food. And the Pig feet soup I got for a friend she took a picture and sent it to me and I have that picture. That's what made me write this review. read more

Okinawan Festival - This was the PIG Feet soup cost 14 tickets ( 1 ticket is a dollar). Only gave that one piece of meat. - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went to this Festival on the Sunday 2 hrs after they opened and they were already out of Anda Dog aww. Was able to grab Andagi tho b4 the line went crazy long like the other food lines. This Festival is so well known and packed my only down fall is all the food lines gets long to the point I got tired of standing in them, gave up and just shopped the country market and checked out the vendors upstairs. Everyone knows how big this Festival gets so why are food vendors running out so fast, they should be more prepared and maybe find a way to make the lines move faster. This yr it was at Hawaii Convention Center so all indoors and they had a short history movie in the theater didnt get to stay for that tho but maybe next yr. Park there for $10 or at McKinley and jump on the shuttle for $3/ person which every is a better deal for you. Bring your reusable bags for all your shopping. Great entertainment find a seat if you can and enjoy it. Hugh keiki section lots of activities top keep them busy. read more

First time I went back to the Okinawan Festival since I was younger. I was excited to go and got there at 9:15am. Parking was already congested and hard to find. Ended up parking in the residential area, about 15 minutes walk away. Heard there was a shuttle from KCC to the park, but we only had time to grab some food and go. Finally got to the festival and it was just like how I remember, except smaller (maybe because I was a lot smaller the last time I went). There are lots of people there so don't feel the need to be Okinawan to be there. Food booths line the park, each with their designated sign of what they are selling. You have to buy scripts to buy all the food, not sure about the festival T-Shirts that are always a popular buy. Scripts come in sheets of 20 for $10 or you can buy individual scripts at 50 cents each. A food price list at the script booth with help determine how much scripts you need to buy. Always a favorite is the Andagi at 5 scripts ($2.50) for 3 pieces. I remembered there being Shoyu Pork before (my favorite Okinawan food) but they never had it there at the festival :( Entertainment is the other reason people come to the Okinawan Festival besides the food. They have performances all day starting at 9am ranging from Okinawan Shisa (Lion Dances) to musical performances to dances. You can stay there all day and many do to watch all they have to offer. The benches infront of the bandstand usually fill up early. We got there at 9:30am and it was already full with standing room only. Although, you can bring your own chair and try to claim a spot in the highly sought after shady spots. Just another thought, if you haven't got enough of the Okinawan Festival by now, go visit Sunset Restaurant on Kapahulu for more Okinawan food and maybe a surprise performance. read more

Okinawan Festival - Andagi! - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First time hubby and I have attended this festival! We have always tried to make it in the past with our travels, but either just happened, or was coming up. So now that we are on this island - YES WE MADE IT! Rules for attending this event: 1) Park yourself early Early EArly EARly EARLy EARLY if you want to be near the park! (when I saw EARLY - I mean like probably 0 dark early). 2) If you are like the rest of us and don't want to have to HUNT for miles around (uhhh lets say HOURS around), then park at KCC, and take the shuttle. *side note: Let's say you have multiple babies/kids with you, or just a LOT of gear to roll in. NO PROBLEM! The shuttle buses are basically tour type buses and you can store those bigger items underneath sans difficulty! 3) Bring plenty of beverages with you if you want to avoid having to pay for beverages. ($2-3 a bottle for water - ehhh not my fav price - free is much better for water!). Yes you can bring a cooler in with you. 4) Bring plenty of cash as well. Cash is not allowed inside to pay for things. You have to exchange your cash for 'scrip' tickets. They won't let you return the scrips for cash, so plan accordingly. (They spell it out in bold print on the ticket sheet.) 5) As with any outdoor activity - your usual family protocol/precautions: sunscreen, toys, blankets or chairs to sit on, hats, etc... As with all fairs, and festivals - some things are WAY over priced and others are average - make sure you are getting your bang for your buck! First booth we visited was to let hubby get his Okinawan Soba fix in: I'm slightly disappointed. The noodles were great, so was the broth! They had plenty of pickled ginger, and 3 slices of kamaboko. Where I felt robbed was in the meat. :( I was sort of expecting to see like these chunks of rib meat in the soba. Instead were two paper thin slices. Don't get me wrong - the meat was tasty! My understanding of this dish was you had actual like 3 ribs worth of the meat in it. So in that way I felt robbed. And I was still hungry afterwards..... The sushi we had - wow - now that was worth it! HUGE overstuffed roll, actually 5 of them! And definitely filled up the empty pockets. Lastly - those VERY yummy lil fried morself of doughy goodness - the Andagi. Just yummy! And yup, they do hold up nicely in the fridge! Watching the performances was a blast! SO much culture to see and learn about! My kids were all into it to! My one lil girl was taiko drumming the air around her with the other taiko drummers with hands and feet!! :) So yup we'll be back for this festival! Now - my one sad note of this festival - no baby onesies to buy! I mean they had keiki (XS) all the way through the adult super X sizes for the t-shirts! Just no baby onesies! :( Yes that was sad for us. Next year we can get the keiki sizes though, but would have been nice to have the onesie sizes. Don't worry - PLENTY of things to do for the keikis! We didn't make it to the arts 'n' crafts, or the bouncy houses - that would have been too much. Off now to more reviews! :) read more

As a 2nd generation Uchinanchu (Okinawan) whose mother and Grandmother both grew up in Okinawa, the Okinawa Festival and World Uchinanchu Business Network (WUBN) reception was very special to me! It's important to note that Okinawa culture is very different from Japan. Their language is completely different, their traditional dancing is different, and even their food is different. Physically they look different too compared to mainland Japanese, because they are ethnically mixed with Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese descendants compared to the more homogenous Japanese mainlanders. Okinawa only became a part of Japan in 1972, and were colonized by the Americans post WWII (Okinawa used US currency until 1972!) On Friday night, I had the honor of attending the World Uchinanchu Business Network with my family (including my 91-year-old Okinawa Grandma and my Mom!) where Okinawan business and community leaders from all over the world celebrated their Okinawan heritage! It was a high profile event where the Governer and Attorney General of Okinawa were present, local Okinawa media journalists featured the event, and Hawaii business and community leaders of Okinawa descent as well as supporters of the Okinawa community including corporate sponsors and Kauai Mayor Carlvalho attended. It was amazing and touching to see Okinawan descendants now living all over the world from the US, Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil where the largest Japanese population outside of Japan resides - convene together to celebrate their special Okinawan heritage. Through eating, drinking, singing, and dancing, 300+ WUBN leaders and members celebrated at the Japanese Cultural Center to kick off the Okinawa Festival weekend! ... On Sunday, my husband and I attended the general Okinawa Festival at Kapiolani Park on Sunday. It was hot and crowded, and the lines were extremely long! But I loved seeing the culture booths, markets, games, dance performances and lion dances, and most importantly the food! I stuffed my face with nostalgic food my Mom used to make me as a little girl - Okinawa soba, Champuru, and the Sata Andagi (sugar fried donuts) treats. All in all, it was a perfect weekend celebrating my Okinawa heritage at the World Uchinanchu Business Network reception and the Okinawa Festival! It made me appreciate and understand my family history even more, and I cannot wait to attend this event every year to celebrate my family heritage. read more

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I have attended the Okinawan Festival a few times in Waikiki. My most recent visit was on September 5, 2015 on Saturday. I reached the grounds of Kapiolani Park around 11:30am. First thing I noticed was the chicken being cooked huli huli style (barbecue). I continued to walk around the park and noticed at how pack the park was...an awesome turnout for the Okinawan Festival. Majority of the crowds were sitting under the shades and enjoying their food while others were sitting in front of the bandstand stage. I walked to each of the booths that were set up by different Okinawan Clubs. I noticed all the different types of food being offered. There was chicken, pig's feet, andagi, andadog, yakisoba, yakitori, maki sushi, oki dog, and some other items I can't recall. I made my way to one of the tents that supplied the scrips for the patrons to use. The scrips are used to purchase food, drinks, plants, shirts, eco-bags, snacks, and even to play games that were set up for people to play. I bought $25 worth of scrips. The first item that I had purchased was the andadog. Think of it as the corndog only made with andagi batter. Plus I purchased a bottle of Pepsi. I also purchased an order of yakisoba noodles to eat for lunch. (I was expecting the yakisoba noodles to be on the thinner side instead of made with thick noodles). Before calling it a day at the festival I also purchased maki sushi and a bag of andagi donuts to take home. With the last of my scrips I went to the t-shirt tent and purchased two eco-bags. Customers of Bank of Hawaii were able to use the ATM from the BofH vehicle to take out more funds. The BofH vehicle was near the entrance where the huli huli chickens were being cooked. The young children who attended the Okinawan Festival had fun going into several different bounce houses. Pet owners even bought their dogs to the event. I seen a lot of small cute dogs....one of the small dogs even came near me after I ate my lunch. I bumped into two new friends at the festival and from a distance I even recognized Governor David Ige in attendance. read more

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It was my friend's birthday weekend so we had gone out drinking till the wee hours of the morning and I woke up HUNGRY. Called up a girlfriend who lived in Waiks and suggested we go get some grub. She happily agreed and we met up at the park.. I had already been in touch with Chris M who had told me it was packed so I had had a little bit of a rice cracker before to hold me over for the lines.... I was amazed at how organized the whole event was. Everything went smoothly from the purchasing of scripts to getting food although we did have to wait a little in line to get yakisoba. Even the porter potty area was legit with toilet stalls and sinks outside to wash your hands. One of my favorite things was that they had the prices of each item at the scripts table. GENIUS. That way you didn't over spend and buy too many extra scripts. And damn, it was pretty cheap. 50 cents/script? I only spent like $6.50 and got some extra ones Chris had leftover. At the Korean festival it was $1/script and everything started at least $6. Maybe cause I had been drinking the night before or maybe cause I was starving or maybe cause I never eat Okinawan yakisoba but I was loving it. So good and although it was a little oily I was enjoying the thick noodles too much to care. I couldn't eat it all so I brought it to work and gave it to my coworkers. But the andagi seriously won over my heart. When the girl at the booth handed me the bag I instantly prayed in my head that they would be hot and fresh and when my hand touched the bottom and felt the heat seeping through I almost jumped up in joy...Well not really but I was excited.. I would not change a thing about those babies. They were hot, fresh, not oily, a little sweet, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside....I should have gone back the next day to get some again but they closed so early! Boo :( I guess I'll have to wait till next year, find a place that makes them as good, or cook up a batch of my own... YELP 365: 226/365 read more

Okinawan Festival - Andagi - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time in years for me to attend this event. So fun to walk around and take in the culture. The food, craft booths and cultural exhibits are both educational and interesting. The music and lifestyle of okinawans is both inspirational and interesting in the most colorful way. Come To this free event, buy scrip and get ready to spend hours taking it all in. Great for all ages from 4 -104. Its just hot so wear comfortable shoes and bring an empty stomach! Prepare to park far away and walk it off. Loved it. read more

Okinawan Festival - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Always fun, crowds of people if you don't llike hunting for parking they have a shuttle service from KCC. I went at the end when it was winding down, around 4:30 pm. on Sunday. I actually went late so I could hop on over to the Waikik Shell for a picnic. All the standard foods, Anda dog (a andagi wrapped hot dog), Okinawan soba they had other foods but of course ANDAGI! The Soba is on the oily side, served with pork (only they had a run out), kamaboko and green onions. The anda dog, was okay the Andagi, came out fresh; it was delicious! read more

Okinawan Festival - Anda DOG.... Okinawan soba. - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Oki Fest is my favorite festival. (And I try to get to every festival on O'ahu.) Held annually at Kapiolani Park on Labor Day weekend. It's huge and always packed. There are cultural performances, activities, exhibits, a marketplace, a bon dance, and of course food booths. Love the energy. You can take a lot of nice pics as well. A great event for families and for the community. I go for the pig's feet soup. Fortunately for me, I'm the minority and it's always the shortest line. I leave at the end of the day with a bag of fresh andagi for the road. In between, I'm usually standing in the shave ice line. Not the greatest shave ice in the world, but on a hot, sunny day, it just might be.... Unfortunately, it will be canceled this year due to the storm. Good call. But looking forward to the next one. This is one event that I will always attend. read more

Okinawan Festival - andagi.... - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Let's be honest, even the people who go for the entertainment still go for the food! Went on a Sunday. Yes it was hot. But there were tons of tents to take refuge from the sun. The lines were long but they went by reasonably quick. The soba was great even on a hot day. The piece of meat, I think it was beef, was better than most ramen shops. The andagi was 3 for $2.50. You can't go wrong with fried dough. I was pleasantly surprised at how light and not oily the andagi was. I tried some of the champuru and bbq chicken. It was good, but nothing to write home about. If you plan on going on the last day, be sure to go early. They ran out of much of the food by 2pm and the store was out of many of their items. Had I known, I would've bought more at the store earlier. The shikuwasa juice was the bomb! Parking at the park was crazy. I ended up parking at KCC. There was a shuttle for $3 rt. Well worth the convenience. Can't wait for next year. read more

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Unless you want to go to the festival while they are setting up around 7AM (it starts at 9AM), be prepared for the search of parking. Arrived here at 12PM, stayed in traffic around Kapiolani Park for a good half an hour and then finally got lucky with a parking stall up by the residential area (kind of near a really small park..don't remember the name.) After walking for 15 minutes underneath the hot sun, we finally arrived at the festival. Even though it was only 1230PM, it seemed like we were already late (everyone's on Okinawan time). This place was so crowded with not only choke Okinawans but basically all of Oahu. The only ones that were prepared were of course the Japanese families with their tents, fold-out camping chairs, straw mats, big hats, the works. Luckily Kapiolani Park had massive trees to provide shady areas to sit underneath. First things first, my friend wanted to find her grandma (who I only met once) and I felt like I saw her every where. I ended up pointing and random old Japanese ladies asking, "Is this your grandma? How about her?" Even my friend had a difficult time finding her. After giving up the search, we decided to get some yakisoba (fried noodles!) But wait, they don't accept cash, we needed to go to the script booth. I dropped down $50 bucks cause after coming from the Greek Festival, I figured this would be enough but seriously for just one person to have enough to eat and take home food $15-20. $50 gave me 5 sheets of scripts (do the math!) All of the food booths had long lines that were a good 15-20 min. wait (we avoided the shave ice line, that looked like a good half an hour). The prices were on a piece of paper (kind of like 50th state fair style) and yakisoba was $4 (8 scripts). It was fresh and delicious filled with vegetables and spam. It came in a take-out box (think L&L mini plate) and this made me full. Bring a mat or towel if you want to sit down. I think they sold straw mats for like $3. They had Okinawan soba (they described it as kind of like saimin) but it was way too damn hot for soup. We walked around for a bit and watched Okinawan music and entertainment. Costumes were colorful and the music was super cool. There was this one instrument that kept whistling that always caught my attention. We decided to get food for the family back at home. They have these things called "Oki dogs" that is pretty much a chili dog in a burrito. My friend said it was good though all she could taste was the chili. We also bought "anda dog" which was a corn dog made with andagi dough. Must try! And of course....we must get the andagi. $2 for 3 pieces of andagi (they were one size bigger than a golf ball) so I bought choke. Mmm, fresh out of the deep frier with the perfect amount of sweetness. They also sold coffee for $1 but can I say this enough? IT WAS TOO HOT OUT! After buying all the food, we checked out the bonsai booth. You can actually create your own for 14 scripts. There was of course the Okinawan traditional dress picture taking and also a booth were you could write your name in kanji on rice paper to take home and show Mom and hang up on the fridge. So many booths...there was a kind of Japanese market booth that sold fruits and vegetables, sauces, soba and snacks along with those cute little soda bottles. Another more "farmer's market" type of booth sold bananas, popcorn, smoothies, and taro cake. Then we checked out the arts & crafts booth because I still had so much money left. Lots of things like stamps, laminated name cards, cute little cellphone keychains in the shape of rice with nori to wipe your screen and lots more. I bought a cute tokidoki sorta pencil case for $5 :D Ohhhh man. So much to do in one day...but it's okay if you missed it today you still have tomorrow from 9AM-5PM to go! My pencil case from the Okinawan festival is my validation of being a little bit more Okinawan now. read more

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Andagi!!! I am always exceptionally happy when I bite into a hot fresh andagi. It just makes my heart smile. *sigh* The Okinawan Festival is an annual festival. Vendors gather around in the beautiful Kapiolani Park in Waikiki to share their delicious foods and crafts to the community. I'm not going to lie to you. I come for the food, especially for the andagi. Woohoo!! Today, I also tried the Andadog. Not much difference from a corn dog, but still I LIKEY. The yakitori chicken was finger-licking good. With the sun embracing you, the Okinawan Festival is the just the place to be for some yummy food and meeting some friends. I'll see you at the Okinawan Festival next year. read more

The Okinawan Festival is a 2-day long cultural celebration of Okinawan traditions, people, and food. It is held at Kapiolani Park every Labor Day weekend. This festival is something you don't want to miss! SCRIPTS Upon arrival, you'll want to head to the scripts booth first. This year the bf and I bought 2 sheets to start with (20 scripts per sheet). SPREAD The food is what I go for (and probably what most other non-Okinawans go for). The food spread is pretty impressive because they've got a ton of choices: chicken, okidog, chili, yakisoba, andagi, champuru plate, shave ice, and a bunch of others. My fave = the Andadog. It's like an andagi corndog!! MILKIS This year was pretty interesting bc we actually walked around a bit. We perused the different tents to check out the different snacks and activities. My favorite tents were the ones with the snacks (of course). I picked up some cold Milkis (Korean carbonated Calpico-esque drink). I was so excited they had it!! I recommend the Okinawan festival to anyone and everyone. This festival has got something for everyone in the family! Yelp 365 - #040/365 read more

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