Things to Do on O‘ahu in October 2023
Check out a few events on Kalākaua Avenue, tour a pumpkin farm and spend an evening enjoying opera.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i International Film Festival
43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Oct. 12–22
The 43rd annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival returns as a fully in-person event this year with a focus on Asia-Pacific Rim cinema and Pasifika and Indigenous voices. Find the full program online. Seniors, students, military members and HIFF members receive a $2 discount on each ticket. Above: a still from Pacific Mother.
General tickets $14, passes available, multiple venues, hiff.org, @hiffhawaii
SEE ALSO: Our Watch List: Films to Look Forward to This Fall
Aloun Farms Educational Pumpkin Tour
Oct. 10–13, 17–20, 24–27, 8:30, 9, 10 and 11 a.m.
On Tuesdays through Fridays in October, Aloun Farms will be holding educational tours where you and your keiki can learn about pumpkins. Tickets include a hayride, educational booklet and talk, a reusable bag and a pumpkin to take home. Reservations accepted online.
$12, Aloun Farms, 91-1440 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, alounfarms.com, @alounfarmshawaii
SEE ALSO: Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals on O‘ahu
Dirty Heads’ Island Glow Tour
Oct. 14, 6 p.m.
With hit songs such as “Vacation,” “Lay Me Down” and “My Sweet Summer,” Dirty Heads will inspire you to dance the night away at the reggae rock band’s last stop of its Island Glow Tour. Opening for the group will be hip-hop duo Atmosphere and up-and-coming Native Hawaiian artist Ark Woods.
$49.50–$220, Waikīkī Shell, 2805 Monsarrat Ave., ticketmaster.com, @dirtyheads
SEE ALSO: Your Ultimate Guide to Concerts and Live Music in Honolulu
Waikīkī Fall Festival
Oct. 14, 4–10 p.m.
In partnership with Da Ultimate Grindz, Millwood ‘Ohana Productions is hosting a fall festival on Kalākaua Avenue to support small local businesses. There will be food, boutique apparel and handmade arts and crafts booths, and a portion of vendor sales will be donated to the Hawai‘i Foodbank.
Free, Waikīkī, millwoodohanaproductions.com, @millwood_ohana_productions
FAST FACT: Hawai‘i celebrates Pride in October, to coincide with National LGBT History Month.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelli With an Eye Photography
Honolulu Pride Parade & Festival
Oct. 21, 9 a.m.
This year’s parade begins at Magic Island, goes down Kalākaua Avenue and ends at the Waikīkī Shell, where the festival starts at 1 p.m. headlined by RuPaul’s Drag Race 2023 winner, Waimānalo-born Sasha Colby. Other performers include LaGanja Estranga, Keri Colby and Mark Kanemura. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Pride: Homecoming,” paying tribute to the rich history of queer people in Hawai‘i.
Free, Waikīkī, hawaiilgbtlegacyfoundation.com, @honolulupride
SEE ALSO: Honolulu Pride 2023: Celebrating MVPFAFF/LGBTQIA+ Excellence
Honolulu On Tap
Oct. 21, VIP 1–5 p.m., general 2–5 p.m.
Though the list of breweries is typically announced about a week before the event, the sooner you get your tickets online, the more money you’ll save; there’s also a group discount for 10 or more. More than 100 beers from 50-plus craft breweries will be served at the festival, which will feature live music, local food and fun activities.
$48–$75, designated driver tickets $10, Neal S. Blaisdell Center Concert Hall, 777 Ward Ave., honoluluontap.com
SEE ALSO: Beer Lab Just Opened a Beer Garden and Poke Counter on Beretania
Photo: Courtesy of Fever
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
Oct. 28, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Candlelight concerts make their Honolulu debut at Blue Note Hawai‘i on Oct. 28. A string quartet will perform spooky movie themes and other eerie tunes surrounded by thousands of flameless LED candles at two shows. If you miss out (most tickets were sold months in advance), look forward to Candlelight’s other performances of classical music—and a tribute to Taylor Swift—in the coming months.
$37 and up, Blue Note Hawai‘i, 2335 Kalākaua Ave., feverup.com
SEE ALSO: All the Spooky, Scary, Tricksy Halloween Fun on O‘ahu
Hawai‘i Opera Theatre: An American Dream
Oct. 13–15, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.
Set during World War II, An American Dream is a thought-provoking drama with local references. The opera, which features a four-piece chamber ensemble, revolves around a fictional storyline derived from real interviews with survivors who experienced the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during the war.
$30–$100, Moanalua High School Performing Arts Center, hawaiiopera.org, @hawaiioperatheatre
