Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: Feb. 14–18, 2018

Love, the lunar new year and gorgeous murals converge.

February 14, 2018

Marisa Heung,

Oops! Did Valentine’s Day creep up on you this year? Wipe the sweat off your brow and check out 16 of our most creative and unconventional ways to spend QT with friends, family or your partner that are good for any day of the week. Also, ring in the year of the dog at Ward Village and head to Salt for Bevy’s mural exhibit featuring past and present Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i artists.

PHOTO: Thinkstock

Valentine’s Day

Today, Feb. 14

Feb. 14 is usually reserved for quality time with your significant other (or yourself, depending on your relationship status), but what about your pals, your fam and all the other loves of your life? This year, make it a point to show your favorite people how special they are with one of these eight creative V-Day activities. Whether you’ve got adrenaline junkies for friends (skydiving, anyone?) or a homebody boyfriend, there’s something for everyone. Want to keep it just between you and your boo? Plan a Valentine’s weekend outing with our roundup of unconventional date ideas perfect for the couple that’s more about action than romance.

february’s weekend picks sponsored by:

New Wave Friday: Chinese New Year

Friday, Feb. 16, 5 to 9 p.m.

When news broke last week that Night in Chinatown, the neighborhood’s Lunar New Year cultural festival, was canceled, we were seriously bummed. But all hope is not lost. Make your way to Ward Village for this month’s New Wave Friday, which just happens to coincide with Chinese New Year and will offer plenty of festivities to help you ring in the year of the dog. In addition to a lion dance, a Chinese New Year art station for keiki and lots of red and gold decorations, you can also design your own mini manapua, be the first to try Lucy’s Lab Creamery’s brand-new Firecracker Float and be entered to win a $50 Ward Village gift card (only when you RSVP in advance, which you can do here). And what would a year of the dog celebration be without a few four-legged friends? Bring your pup along and stop by Downtown Gifthing’s Year of the Dog photo booth for some snapshots to take home with you.

Free, South Shore Market and Ward Centre, 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. For more information, go here.

photo: Marisa Heung

Bevy’s “Quintessence” Mural Exhibit

Now through Friday, Feb. 16

Kaka‘ako’s resident hipster bar celebrates its fifth anniversary with “Quintessence,” a pop-up art show collaboration with Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i’s weeklong event. Held at the Salt at Our Kaka‘ako barn area, “Quintessence” is a showcase of old and new, featuring the works of local and international artists that Bevy has hosted over the past five years for Pow! Wow! The exhibit also features a brand-new mural that was painted by local artists Solomon Enos and Nicole Naone during last Saturday’s Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i kick-off party.

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

Fights & Delights: Three Chinese Comedies

Feb. 16–18 & Feb. 23–25

Every culture has its own kind of humor, and Fights & Delights celebrates comedy through a vibrant performance of three back-to-back stories performed in the style of xiqu, or traditional Chinese opera. Filled with playful acrobatics, cases of mistaken identities and over-the-top performances, each comedy offers its own unique storyline and characters. The first two plays will be performed in the jingju style, which originated in Beijing, while the final play will be performed in the chuanju style, a brand-new type of theater form for Kennedy Theatre that hails from the Sichuan province.

$8–$25, Kennedy Theatre, 1770 East-West Road. For more information, go here.

Plus: Coming Up

HONOLULU Family Fun Run Presented by First Hawaiian Bank

Saturday, March 31, 7:30 to 10 a.m.

Lace up your shoes for the HONOLULU Family Fun Run presented by First Hawaiian Bank, Saturday, March 31, 7:30 a.m. at Ala Moana Beach Park. Family members of all ages can enter the 5K fun run, a leisurely walk/run filled with selfie stops, snack stations and entertainment. Kids ages 3–10 can also participate in a 500-meter keiki dash. Afterward, head over to the keiki fun zone for games, a bouncy house and more.

$15–$20, Ala Moana Beach Park, 1201 Ala Moana Blvd. For more information and to register, go here.

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