6 Kid-Friendly Murals at POW! WOW! Hawai‘i 2020
Hike the concrete jungles of Kakaʻako to see cute and kid-friendly wall murals.
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
Every year, my art-obsessed daughter gets excited when the Pow! Wow! Hawaiʻi street festival comes to town. Dozens of artists from the state and across the globe come together for one week to create wall-sized murals in Kakaʻako—which happens to be our own neighborhood. Recently, we hiked around our urban, concrete backyard in search of kid-friendly murals that we hope your family will enjoy, too.
Here are our favorites:
#1
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
Where: 700 ʻAuahi St.
Direction: Find this at the corner of Coral and Auahi streets. When facing this mural, SALT at Our Kakaʻako and Coral Street are on your right.
Artist: Jay Howell, @punksgitcut
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
#2
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
Where: Hawaiʻi Children’s Discovery Center, 111 ʻOhe St.
Directions: This mural is on the mauka (mountain) side of the building. When facing the mural, the smokestack is to your left. You can find a small parking lot back there.
Artist: OG Slick, @og_slick
#3
Photo: By @alohamonsters
Where: Hawaiʻi Children’s Discovery Center, 111 ‘Ohe St.
Directions: You can find this mural on the makai (ocean) side of the building. The children center’s front door is just a few hundred feet away.
Artist: Kevin Lyons, @klyonsnatborn (pictured above)
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
BONUS! My kiddo was happy to see that this mural still is up. For Pow! Wow! Hawaiʻi 2019, artist Kevin Lyons painted this monster mural on the wall of Fisher Hawaiʻi (690 Pohukaina St.). You can spot the colorful creatures if you stand at Mother Waldron Park and face the ʻewa direction. The city opened a new off-leash dog park adjacent to the wall, by the way. @klyonsnatborn
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
#4
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
Where: 741 Pohukaina St.
Directions: Find Bunny Kitty on the Diamond Head and makai (ocean) corner of Cooke and Pohukaina streets. When facing This is Is It Bakery & Deli at 443 Cooke St., this mural is a few hundred feet to your left.
Artist: Dave Persue, @_bunnykitty_
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
#5
Where: Fisher Hawaiʻi, 690 Pohukaina St.
Directions: This ocean-themed mural wraps around the back wall of the Fisher school-supplies store. You can find a handful of parking stalls there, too. We felt like we were on the set of SpongeBob Squarepants!
Artist: @Katch_1
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
#6
Photo: Cathy Cruz-George
Where: 710 Pohukaina St.
Directions: Diamond Head and makai (ocean) corner of Coral and Pohukaina streets. If you face the ocean with Mother Waldron Park behind you, this mural is on your right, and to the left of Coral Street.
Artists: Scien and Klor from 123KLAN
OUR THREE TIPS
1. Stay Close To the Kids. My family and I feel relatively safe walking in Kaka’ako. Homeless camps are not as rampant, and the overall vibe of the neighborhood is kid-friendlier than in past years. Still, use caution when crossing streets. Some inattentive drivers are looking at murals, too.
2. Hide Your Valuables. Park your vehicle in a safe area, bring plenty of coins for parking meters and lock up your valuables in the trunk. If you don’t have coins, park at SALT at Our Kakaʻako, which has a covered parking structure. You can validate your parking ticket at one of the restaurants, or smoothie shops and cafes.
3. Find Clean Potties. The best bathrooms for kids in the area are in SALT At Our Kaka’ako, the Hawaiʻi Children’s Discovery Center and inside This Is It Bakery & Deli (which has yummy pastries-by-the-bag and bagels, by the way). You might want to bring antibacterial gel and a small towel to wipe hands for extra protection. I don’t recommend the restrooms in public parks. And sorry, you can’t use the ones in my house—I still have to clean them.
