Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: Dec. 14–17, 2017

Shop 250-plus artisan vendors, try a new Rogue beer and more.

December 13, 2017

Marisa Heung,

Take a break from the mall crowds. Instead, head to the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall for one of Hawai‘i’s biggest and best holiday expos, featuring handmade crafts and homemade food to gift yourself and loved ones this Christmas. Plus, explore some new beers from one of America’s most popular craft breweries, explore the Honolulu City Lights with your family while getting some steps in and experience a classic holiday ballet with a unique Island twist.

photo: courtesy of Make-a-Wish Hawai‘i

Fourth Annual Jingle Rock Run

Sunday, Dec. 17, 3 to 9 p.m.

Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i welcomes everyone—walkers, joggers, children and pets—to don their best festive attire and participate in its annual 5K run/walk, which starts at the state Capitol and takes you past the iconic Honolulu City Lights. (Tip: Bring your camera—since the run is untimed, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and snap a few photos.) Kids ages 12 and younger can also participate in a keiki sprint. All proceeds help Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i fulfill its mission to grant the wishes of Hawai‘i children facing critical illnesses.

$25–$40, Hawai‘i State Capitol, 415 S. Beretania St. For more information and to register, go here.

December's weekend picks sponsored by:

Salt Bar Crawl Feat. Rogue Ales & Spirits

Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.

This month’s Salt Bar Crawl features Rogue Ales & Spirits, the brewery that brought us the Dead Guy ale, Hazelnut Brown Nectar and beer collabs with chef Masaharu Morimoto and Side Street Inn. But there are a lot of other ales, porters, stouts and lagers to discover from one of America’s most popular craft breweries. On Saturday, Bevy Bar, Moku Kitchen, the newly opened Pitch Sports Bar, and Village Bottle Shop & Tasting Room will give you the chance to expand your Rogue knowledge with select brews available for purchase. (Tip: For those who like their beers sour, order the Paradise Pucker.) Plus, do a good deed while you’re there: Helping Hands Hawai‘i will have a booth during the event and will accept unopened household items to support less fortunate families.

Free, Salt at Our Kaka‘ako, 691 Auahi St. For more information, go here.

photo:courtesy of ballet hawai‘i

Ballet Hawai‘i Presents The Nutcracker

Friday, Dec. 15 through Sunday, Dec. 17

Hawai‘i monarchs don’t usually make appearances in this classic holiday tale, but Ballet Hawai‘i’s rendition of The Nutcracker isn’t quite the same tale. The ballet company performs Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic this weekend, bringing a unique Island twist to this much-loved story: Set in the 1858 Kingdom of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Ballet’s version blends in elements of Hawaiian history (on-stage appearances by beloved monarch Queen Lili‘uokalani and Washington Place resident Mary Dominis) and incorporates many other Island details for a delightful performance that makes us feel right at home. Look out for indigenous flora and fauna, the toy soldiers’ outfits, inspired by the uniforms worn by the Royal Guard, and the iconic Waltz of the Snowflakes, which takes place on the slopes of Mauna Kea.

$39–$120, Blaisdell Concert Hall, 777 Ward Ave. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

Season’s Best Christmas Craft & Gift Fair

Friday, Dec. 15 through Sunday, Dec. 17

Season’s Best Christmas Craft & Gift Fair, rated one of the Hawai‘i’s best fairs of 2017 by travelmag.com, offers three days of holiday shopping for handmade craft and food products. With more than 250 local and Mainland vendors offering thousands of gift baskets, fashion and accessories, food products, home wares and collectibles, this could just be the final stop in your Christmas shopping pilgrimage. If you’re looking for unique, handmade goods to gift your loved ones—whether it’s vintage-inspired Hawai‘i tees, Band-Aids with tropical prints, Island-made artisan earrings or homemade pickled veggies—you’ll find lots of them here. Bonus: Season’s Best will offer cash and other prizes to a random attendee every 15 minutes.

$3, Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, 777 Ward Ave. For more information on this event, go here.

Looking for more things to do? Check out our events calendar.