Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: August 25–31, 2021
We’re gonna love you, Hawai‘i, like no one loves you. Come rain or come social distancing at home. Here are some ideas for those of us looking to spend the weekend at home (or roaming around with just your dog).
Did you know that Aug. 26 is National Dog Day and that Aug. 30 is National Beach Day? Take your happy little poi dogs to the beach but remember to keep them in the shade, hydrated and suited up in a life vest if they venture out for a puppy paddle! Photo: Katie Kenny
Going to the Dogs
Thursday, Aug. 26
Sit! Stay! Relax. It’s National Dog Day and we need to calm down. Our dog-obsessed team members are ready to spoil all of the good boys and girls with over-the-top pet meals from our favorite dog-friendly establishments. But only after we take them hiking, followed by a shopping session at The Public Pet (3422 Wai‘alae Ave., thepublicpet.com), Calvin and Susie (multiple locations, calvinandsusie.com), and Roberta Oaks (1152 Nu‘uanu Ave., robertaoaks.com). Top off the day with a dog-friendly vegan doughnut from Purvé Donut Stop (multiple locations, purvehawaii.com).
SEE ALSO: Dogs, Ducks and Duos Compete in Surf Events at Duke’s OceanFest 2019 in Waikīkī
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Sip Back and Relax
Saturday, Aug. 28
Upgrade your Saturday wine night with a couple of really good bottles for National Red Wine Day. If you would like to browse hard-to-find wine from all over the world while receiving expert advice, look no further than NK Wine Shop (38 N. King St., (808) 532-8888). This small Chinatown shop isn’t glitzy or glamorous, but it is stocked with interesting wines from moderate to high-end prices. Not keen on searching for parking? Order direct delivery from Kaka‘ako Wine (kakaakowine.com). The website’s filter makes things really easy with options to narrow down variety, vintage, country, region and more, plus delivery rates are pretty reasonable: It’s free in many locations, depending on your O‘ahu ZIP code.
From left to right: Fritz Belmoro, Shayne Robello, Didi Robello, Dwight “Lumpy” Kinoshita, Gerald “Braddah” Campollo. Photo: Sean Marrs
Blue Crushin’
Monday, Aug. 30
Yes, National Beach Day is coming up on Monday, and no, we don’t need one day a year to celebrate our beautiful coastlines. But why deny a day honoring the sun, the sand and the sea? If you’re lucky enough to get a break from the rain, then check out HONOLULU Family’s 10 tips and tricks for a summer day at the beach. If you are stuck indoors, get in some Waikīkī beach appreciation reading with a few of my favorite articles from our archives, such as 2012’s This is What It’s Like to Spend 24 Hours at Kaimana Beach or Meet the Hawai‘i Beachboys Keeping the Tradition Alive and King Tides, Beach Erosion and Water Pollution—Can Waikīkī Be Saved? from the February 2018 “Our Waikīkī” cover story.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Draft Days
Now until Sept. 9
It’s that time of year when people spend hours putting together fantasy football teams for the upcoming season. Or, as I know it, that time of year I don’t understand and can offer very little in the way of interesting conversation. What I do know is that football fans love game day food (and I just generally love food and party themes) so next time I’m drafted for a league party I’ll be looking to our guide to the best local takeout for game days spent in our living rooms. Think of this week as practice before the season officially starts on Sept. 9 when the Cowboys play the Buccaneers.
SEE ALSO: University of Hawai‘i’s Football Field History
Other Ideas
WATCH Two Shows Reppin’ Hawai‘i
We’re not lying when we say that we have two very different shows for two very different types of viewers. This week began with the two-night premiere of the new eight-episode reality competition series on ABC, The Ultimate Surfer. Fourteen up-and-coming surf pros will train, bunk up and battle each other for a chance to compete in the World Surf League Championship Tour. We’re looking forward to checking out Kelly Slater and his human-made wave at Surf Ranch in California, and rooting for our hometown competitors, Zeke Lau, Brianna Cope, Kai Barger and Koa Smith. If it’s an extremely witty social satire with an amazing soundtrack you’re looking for, then prepare to binge-watch The White Lotus from HBO. Three groups of VIP guests arrive at a top resort in Hawai‘i for a week of the suite-life in paradise, while hotel employees run around (they always seem to be running!) desperately trying to deal with their obnoxious demands, out-of-touch attitudes and oh-so-much drama. I 100% recommend this show.
SEE ALSO: It’s Raining Hawai‘i Films in Hollywood
Photo: Katie Kenny
COOK Local Favorites at Home
The HONOLULU team is big on cooking at home—and then telling you all about it. We’ve shared it all: baking with local cornmeal, kiawe and ‘ulu flour, revealing our own family twists on local-style soups, adventurous attempts at pickling, messing up our first attempts at Foodland’s Calabash meal kits, chef Masaharu Morimoto’s three-ingredient udon recipe and the nine recipes we tried from Sheldon Simeon’s new cookbook, Cook Real Hawai‘i. We could go on, but that should be enough home cooking inspo for this weekend.
Photo: Steve Czerniak. Animation: Katie Kenny
WARM UP with a Sizzling Pot of Soup
It never gets cold enough here to really justify a shabu shabu session, so we’ll settle for a rainy day in August as an excuse to sit around a steaming pot of deliciousness. Hot pot noobs, look no further than our beginner’s guide to hot pot in Honolulu while those who want different spots to dip into bubbling broths can check out our growing archive on Frolic.
Dining editor Martha Cheng wears her new favorite house dress (with pockets!) from Island Bungalow. Photo: Martha Cheng
SHOP Online at Local Boutiques
I love shopping local, but darting to all sides of the island is not always ideal. Thankfully, local brands and boutiques have been pushing out sleek new, user-friendlier online stores so I can shop for my favorite Hawai‘i-made house dresses, swimsuits, aloha shirts, indulgent beauty products and whatever our fashion editor tells us to buy from home.
SEE ALSO: These Popular Hawai‘i Boutiques Just Opened Online Stores So You Can Shop from Home
Looking for fun new ways to experience the city? HONOLULU’s got you covered with HNLTix, your brand-new local resource for all things social—fundraisers, concerts, comedy shows, expos and everything in between. Discover your next can’t-miss event, share your favorites with friends, or promote your own event and sell tickets online. To see what’s coming up next in Honolulu, visit HNLTix.com.
