Your Guide to the Perfect Labor Day Weekend in Honolulu: Sept. 3–9, 2026
Feast at the Hale ‘Aina Gala, cheer on the Rainbow Warriors, admire pastel paintings, celebrate Hawaiian History Month and more.
Photo: Redefined Media
Hale ‘Aina Gala: Fantasy Island
Saturday, Sept. 5, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Escape to paradise for an evening of beauty, adventure and island nostalgia. You’ll dine on dreamy dishes from Hale ‘Aina award-winning restaurants, including Botanico, Hy’s Steakhouse, MW Restaurant and Kapa Hale. Plus, indulge in fresh oysters on the half-shell, espresso martinis and cocktail jellies while being enchanted by dancers, live bongo drummers, contortionists and more.
Ages 21+, $186 general admission, VIP sold out, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, 5000 Kāhala Ave., Kāhala, hnltix.com, @honolulumag
SEE ALSO: Feast at Fantasy Island: What You’ll Eat at the Hale ‘Aina Gala on Sept. 5
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Athletics
University of Hawai‘i Football Game
Saturday, Sept. 5, 4 p.m.
Wear white to show your team spirit at the Rainbow Warriors’ first home football game of the season against UNLV. This year, the pre-game festivities are moving from upper campus to the roof of the Zone 20 parking structure and will include a walk-through by the team, live music, a beer garden and VIP areas. Grammy-nominated musician Henry Kapono will perform the national anthem and “Hawai‘i Pono‘ī,” ending with a flyover by a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
Family-friendly, tickets range from $20 to $124, Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Mānoa, hawaiiathletics.com, @rainbowwarriorsfootball
SEE ALSO: Your Insider Guide to Okinawan Festival
“Hūnānāniho” by Roger Tinius
Pastel Artists of Hawai‘i Members’ Show
Open Friday through Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., through Sept. 30
Sunday, Sept. 6, 1 to 3 p.m., Meet-the-Artists Reception
View a collection of pastel paintings from artists statewide. You’ll see local landscapes, portraits, still life and abstracts—all using soft, also known as dry, pastels. This traditional technique, used by legendary artists of the past, such as Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso, offers many ways of applying and manipulating color.
Free admission, Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden Visitor Center, 45-680 Luluku Road, Kāne‘ohe, pastelartistsofhawaii.com, @pastel808
SEE ALSO: Things to Do on O‘ahu in September 2026
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Pono‘ī Coalition
Hawaiian History Month
Saturday, Sept. 5, 12 p.m., Memory Walk
Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6, 4 to 5 p.m., Mai Poina: The Overthrow
September’s Hawaiian History Month celebrates the 188th birthday of Queen Liliʻuokalani with concerts, walking tours, living history performances, panel discussions, films, cultural experiences, community conversations and more. This weekend’s highlights include a Memory Walk to Queen Liliʻuokalani’s special places and a dramatic interpretation of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s overthrow. Register and view the full event schedule here.
Free to join the Memory Walk, $10 suggested donation for Mai Poina, various locations, hawaiiponoi.info, @hawaiiponoicoalition
SEE ALSO: What to Eat During September’s Okinawan Feastival in Honolulu
Journey: Final Frontier Tour
Saturday, Sept. 5, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m.
It may be your last chance to belt out “Don’t Stop Believing” at the top of your lungs at a Journey concert. As part of the rock band’s farewell tour, they’ll stop for three shows in Honolulu to play classic hits from their five-decade career, like “Any Way You Want It,” “Lights” and “Faithfully.”
From $72, Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, 777 Ward. Ave., Kaka‘ako, ticketmaster.com, @journeyofficial
Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine. @ldornbush
