Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: July 31–Aug. 6, 2025

Photo: Ryan Sakamoto, Courtesy of the Pacific Ink & Art Expo

Pacific Ink & Art Expo

Friday, Aug. 1, 3 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 3, noon to 6 p.m.

Now in its 10th year, this event brings together 500 of the best tattoo artists from Hawai‘i and around the world. Get inked, talk story with traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian practitioners, showcase your tattoo in a contest and enjoy the lineup of live entertainment.

$80 plus fees for a three-day pass, $30 plus fees for one-day admission, free for keiki under 12, Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, 777 Ward Ave., Kaka‘ako, hawaiitattooexpo.com, @hawaiitattooexpo

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Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site & Archives

Archives Uncorked: Endless Summer

Friday, Aug. 1, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

If your type of history lesson is paired with a pūpū and a glass of wine, here’s the event for you. Travel back in time at four interactive historical stations exploring summer sports, style and soirées; taste Mānoa Honey & Mead; shop sustainable swimwear; and take home a swag bag.

$65, Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site, 553 S. King St., Downtown, missionhouses.org, @hawaiian_mission_houses

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Photo: Courtesy of Waimea Valley

Moon Walk at Waimea Valley

Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 to 10 p.m.

Nightlife on the North Shore gets a boost as this evening experience returns on Sunday, the first of three in a monthly series. Stroll by moonlight through the sacred cultural site and botanical garden to a waterfall and enjoy a tour of the authentic Hawaiian living site, Kauhale.

Family-friendly, $10, 59-864 Kamehameha Highway, Hale‘iwa, waimeavalley.net, @waimeavalleyoahu

SEE ALSO: Things to Do on O‘ahu in Summer 2025 (Part 2)

Graphic: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Theatre

Prescription: Murder

Thursday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 10

You’ve seen them on screen, but have you ever witnessed them on stage? TV personalities and longtime friends Joe Moore and Pat Sajak star in this mystery thriller play that was the inspiration for the 1970’s TV crime series Columbo. Expect comedy, deception and a perfect alibi.

$32.50 to $87.50, Hawai‘i Theatre Center, 1130 Bethel St., Chinatown, hawaiitheatre.com, @hawaiitheatre

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Photo: Courtesy of the Merwin Conservancy and David Pugh

Poetry Reading and Talk with Pádraig Ó Tuama

Thursday, July 31, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

How often do we get the chance to hear a famed Irish poet read his beautiful, wise words? Attend The Merwin Conservancy’s In The Green Room series event to listen to perspectives on conflict, language and religion from this award-winning poet and theologian.

$25 general admission, $10 student admission, Honolulu Museum of Art, Doris Duke Theatre, 900 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili, honolulumuseum.org, @honolulumuseum

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Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine.