Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: Nov. 17–23, 2022
Join the block party at Honolulu Night Market, decorate cookies and eat doughnuts, and get a head start on holiday shopping at a craft fair.
Photo: Our Kaka‘ako
Honolulu Night Market—Rooted
Saturday, Nov. 19, 6 to 10 p.m.
Come to Kaka‘ako for this month’s Night Market, which celebrates local food, culture and community. The street fair and block party will feature food vendors, art, music, live entertainment and giving opportunities with community nonprofits.
Family-Friendly Event, free, Keawe and Auahi streets, @ourkakaako
Photo: Courtesy of Ward Village
Fall Festival
Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Celebrate the fall spirit with a family-friendly event where you and your kids can decorate cookies from Sugarlina Bakeshop, led by Juniper Calligraphy. Taste free hand-fried doughnuts from Holey Grail Donuts and don’t forget to take a selfie or two at the fall-themed photo wall.
Family-Friendly Event, free, Victoria Ward Park, 1020 Auahi St., wardvillage.com/explore/activities/fall-celebration, @wardvillage
Photo: Courtesy of Ward Village
Bloom! Garden & Art Festival
Saturday, Nov. 19, & Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stick around after the Fall Festival for this annual garden and art festival, which returns for two days. Shop for plants and handmade goods, attend complimentary workshops and check out plant displays from vendors including the Honolulu Orchid Society, Paradise Bonsai Club, Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild and more.
Family-Friendly Event, free, East Village Shops (next to Nordstrom Rack) & Ward Centre, 1170 Auahi St., wardvillage.com/explore/activities/bloom-garden-art-festival, @wardvillage
Photo: Brandon Miyagi
The Game’s Afoot, or Holmes for the Holidays
Thursdays through Sundays, Nov. 17 to Dec. 4
A hilarious whodunit in which actor William Gillette invites his Sherlock Holmes co-stars to his home in Connecticut for Christmas Eve. When a guest is murdered, Gillette must bring his detective character to life to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again.
$24–$42, Mānoa Valley Theatre, 2833 E. Mānoa Road, manoavalleytheatre.com, @manoavalleytheatre
SEE ALSO: The Lineup: Musicals, Plays and Theater Performances Happening in Honolulu
Photo: Courtesy of Royal Hawaiian Center
Royal Hawaiian Center Holiday Kickoff and Tree Lighting Ceremony
Wednesday, Nov. 23, 5 p.m.
It’s officially the holidays at the Royal Hawaiian Center. Listen to live music from local musicians, watch hula performances and check out Santa Claus himself as he lights the 34-foot-tall holiday tree. After the tree lighting, guests will have a chance to take a complimentary photo with Santa. Following the event, families can take free pictures with Santa every Wednesday and Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., through Saturday, Dec. 24. Each keiki will receive a free gift of peppermint cookies from Honolulu Cookie Co. and parents can get a Royal Santa Savings Pass, which includes holiday discounts from participating shops and restaurants.
Family-Friendly Event, free, Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalākaua Ave., royalhawaiiancenter.com, @royalhwnctr
Photo: Courtesy of Noelani School PTA
Noelani Elementary Craft & Children’s Fair
Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Forget Black Friday shopping—here is your chance to get a head start on holiday shopping. A yearly event since 1989, this popular children’s fair brings the community together to shop for handcrafted gifts, plants, jewelry and foods. Families can also enjoy a keiki scavenger hunt, bounce houses, inflatable obstacle courses, a game corner and relay races. Proceeds go toward funding Noelani School’s music teachers, enrichment activities and facility improvements.
Family-Friendly Event, free admission, Noelani Elementary School, 2655 Woodlawn Drive, noelanipta.org/craft-fair.html, @noelaniPTA
Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Reiner
The Covidians
Through Jan. 7, on view Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Check out this body of sculptural work created by artist Christopher Reiner with found and recycled objects. The works are a reflection on the COVID-19 crisis; you’ll notice that a mask appears in each work as a symbol of the pandemic.
Arts & Letters Nu‘uanu, 1164 Nu‘uanu Ave., artsandlettersnuuanu.org, @artslettersnuuanu
Photo: Courtesy of Imagine Exhibitions
Backyard Adventures: Opening Day
Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Keiki and ʻohana can explore and discover the outdoors through new perspectives at Bishop Museum’s new exhibit, Backyard Adventures. Take a walk through a digital garden to see plants growing in super time; see the garden through the eyes of a bee; and investigate the creatures that come out at night. On opening day, there will be food vendors, face painting, a coloring station, live music, bug costumes and keiki activities. The exhibit itself will run through Aug. 20, 2023. Timed admission tickets are available online.
Family-Friendly Event, free for members, $10.95 to $14.95 for kama‘āina, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., bishopmuseum.org, @bishopmuseum
Jefferson Starship
Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m.
The legendary rock band that started out in the 1960s as Jefferson Airplane is here to perform live—you probably know ’70s hits like “Jane,” “Count On Me” and “Miracles.”
$57.50–$87.50, Hawai‘i Theatre, 1130 Bethel St., hawaiitheatre.com, @hawaiitheatre
Keali‘i Reichel
Thursday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Iconic Hawaiian singer, teacher and kumu hula Keali‘i Reichel performs live in Waikīkī. He’s dedicated his life to educating and sharing Hawaiian culture through music and dance and is one of the founding directors of Pūnana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language preschool.
$85–$125, Blue Note Hawai‘i, 2335 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 777-4890, bluenotejazz.com, @bluenotehawaii
Russ – The Journey Is Everything
Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m.
Rapper, songwriter and producer Russ visits Hawai‘i on his world tour. He made a name for himself in the music world without a major label—in the past 10 years of releasing music, he’s written songs that have collectively surpassed more than 10 billion streams and more than 3 billion views. His 2021 single “Can’t Let Go” grabbed the No. 1 spot on the iTunes hip-hop chart.
$65–$150, Blaisdell Arena, 777 Ward Ave., blaisdellcenter.com
Kaiwi Coast Run & Walk
Sunday, Nov. 20, 6:45 a.m.
Soak up the views as you run or walk 4 miles along this scenic section of Kalaniana‘ole Highway to support Hawai‘i Kai community programs. The course begins at Sandy Beach and ends at Hui Nalu Canoe Club. It’s too late to register online but you can still sign up in person between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. on race day. Shuttles will bring participants from the Hawai‘i Kai Park & Ride to the start line between 4:45 and 5:45 a.m.
Family-Friendly Event, $50–$60, kaiwicoastrun.org, @kaiwicoastrun
