Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: Oct. 16–22, 2025
Learn about space, explore the Queen Emma Summer Palace, chill out to reggae beats, go on an after-hours history tour and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Space Grant
Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery
Sunday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Calling all future astronauts for a day of STEM learning about space exploration, rocketry, robotics and earth science. The workshops are already full, but there is plenty of learning still to do with interactive booths and hands-on activities. You can also watch a mobile planetarium show and snap selfies with your favorite Star Wars characters.
Recommended for students in pre-K to grade 12, free, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 2680 Woodlawn Dr., Mānoa, sites.google.com, @hawaiispacegrant
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Photo: Courtesy of Daughters of Hawai‘i
Day at Hānaiakamalama, the Queen Emma Summer Palace Festival
Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tour the palace museum; watch performances by Kamaha‘o Haumea-Thronas, Royal Hawaiian Band and three hula hālau; shop local vendors at the mākeke; hunt for vintage alohawear in Tūtū’s Attic; and pick up a jar of the Daughters of Hawai‘i’s famous jams and jellies. Proceeds support the historic preservation, maintenance and operations of the Palace and grounds.
Family-friendly, $10 general admission, $5 youth admission (5-12 years old), $1 child admission (4 years old and younger), 2913 Pali Hwy., Nu‘uanu, daughtersofhawaii.org, @daughtersofhawaii
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Photo: Eli Kutler
Holo Holo Music Festival
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 18 & 19, 3:30 to 10 p.m.
Catch top reggae acts in this two-day jam session on Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn. Enjoy sets by Josh Tatofi, The Green, J Boog, Katchafire and more as well as local food vendors, bars and activities.
Family-friendly, $113.97 adult one-day admission, $61.53 keiki one-day admission, 1525 Bernice St., Kalihi, holoholofestival.com, @holoholofest
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No. 1 View of Honolulu From the Harbor, by Paul Emmert, c. 1853. Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiian Historical Society
Books & Brews: Tales from the Sea
Friday, Oct. 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
In a first of its kind evening, you’ll get a rare, after-hours peek into the Hawaiian Historical Society’s archives with a focus on the seafaring voyages to and from Hawai‘i from the 1700s to 1900s. The tour gives pirate vibes with tales of buried treasure, a statue thought to be lost at sea, viewing of original maritime ledgers and a rum tasting led by a certified sommelier.
21+, $50, 560 Kawaiaha‘o St., Downtown, hawaiianhistory.org, @hawaiianhistoricalsociety
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Photo: Courtesy of Filcom Center
Filipino American History Month
Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., History Fest
Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m., Dance Showcase
Sunday, Oct. 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Kamayan Food Experience
Here’s your chance to immerse yourself in Filipino culture through activities, workshops, dance and food. Visit educational booths, witness traditional Eskrima martial arts, watch a vibrant performance by San Francisco-based Parangal Dance Company and enjoy a finger-foods feast plus halo-halo dessert bar.
Family-friendly, free admission to the history fest, $30 dance showcase admission, $95 Kamayan Food Experience, Filipino Community Center, 94-428 Mokuola St., Waipahu, filcom.org, @thefilcomcenter
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Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine. @ldornbush
