Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: September 16–22
Dance your heart out, grab a Sunday Special from one of our favorite restaurants, tune in to an education panel and jam out to local Hawaiian musicians.
Video: Katie Kenny
Strut Your Moves on National Dance Day
Saturday, September 19
Dancing might be the last thing on your mind right now, but this Saturday is National Dance Day, and we could all use a reason to move our bodies and make ourselves happy. Mark Kanemura, former backup dancer for Lady Gaga, has fun, easy, step-by-step routines on his Instagram that will make you feel like you’re on top of the world. His high energy will get your body flowing. Need more instruction? Join the Movement Center to get your groove on in hip-hop, jazz, ballet and other virtual classes for all ages. Register online. The Still & Moving Center offers virtual dance classes on Zoom as well.
Classes at the Movement Center range from $15-$18; click here for the schedule
Find the schedule of drop-in classes at Still & Moving Center here.
SEE ALSO: Heart of Honolulu: Local Boy and Former Lady Gaga Dancer Gets The Party Started at Home
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Steal A Deal at Side Street Inn
Every Sunday in September
If you’re craving some comfort food, stop by to get any two plate lunches of your choice and receive a free bonus snack bucket of garlic chicken. It’s only available on Sundays this month. I suggest the misoyaki chicken plate and the boneless kalbi with fried rice. Make sure to order ahead of time so you can beat the crowd and traffic (available starting at 11 a.m.).
1225 Hopaka St., (808) 591-0253, 614 Kapahulu Ave, (808) 739-3939, sidestreetinn.com
Education CHANGE Webinar
Thursday, September 17, 3 p.m.
The pandemic has changed education, and many of us are working remotely while our children are stuck at home doing virtual classes. Join conversations surrounding education via webinar, a virtual panel discussion and some pau hana breakout groups. The event will cover how schools are approaching remote online learning, how colleges can drive the economy, how to make sure the state is providing its students with equal opportunities and more. Panelists include Jack Wong, CEO of Kamehameha Schools; Stacie Kunihisa, principal of Kanoelani Elementary School; and Susan Yamada, director of UH Ventures and co-founder of The ClimbHI Bridge. The webinar will include a Q&A; proceeds will be donated to the Hawai‘i Foodbank. Please register beforehand at hawaiibusiness.com.
Moonlight Mele Concert Series: Pōmaika‘i Keawe Lyman and Ei Nei
Thursday, September 17, 3 p.m.
Don’t you love virtual concerts for a cause? You don’t have to wait in long lines to get in, you can eat whatever you want and not worry about getting caught sneaking in snacks. Sit back and grab some mochi crunch as you listen to the traditional ha‘i-style melodies and smooth blends of rich harmonies, including, I hope, my favorite Ei Nei song, “Nāwiliwili.” Tickets are free but every donation supports the Historic Hawai‘i Theatre Center. Watch live on hawaiianmusiclive.xyz and Facebook.
Our Weekend Adventures
Photo: Katrina Valcourt
Make a Fruit Shrub
After it’s mushy but before it goes totally bad (or if you just want to prolong the flavors of summer), fruit can be transformed into a super refreshing vinegar-based drink called a shrub. I’ve been using frozen lychee I bought before the latest shutdown put a stop to the People’s Open Markets around the island and cut off my regular supply chain (good news, they reopen this weekend!), but I’ve also tried strawberries and cherries. Check out my recipe over on HAWAI‘I Magazine’s website. —Katrina Valcourt, managing editor
Chocolate strawberry mochi
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with food videos on TikTok. My two favorite foods are mochi and chocolate-covered strawberries (mmm, taste like heaven in your mouth) so I tried @jasmineandtea’s easy, step-by-step, aesthetically pleasing recipe for chocolate strawberry mochi. Normally mochi takes hours to make, but not in this recipe. The basic ingredients are milk, sugar, vanilla extract, coconut oil and rice flour. You can even dye it with food coloring to make it like the ones you buy in stores. I used milk chocolate chips and fresh strawberries, which bring out a much sweeter, fresh taste. —Taylor Nakaoka, editorial intern
Take a people-watching sunset walk through Kapʻiolani Park
From 4:30 p.m. until dark you see the most interesting and beautiful transition, especially if you wander down the middle of the park instead of sticking to the sidewalks. I’ve seen solo hula dancers, people on aerial silks up in the banyan trees, drone-flying families, kids racing in the dusk (while Mom sits in a folding aluminum chair and flies a kite), lovers on blankets, musicians, solo yogis and a family volleyball game held same time, same place every night. It’s restorative. The view of Diamond Head aglow at sunset rivals the sun setting over Waiʻanae. —Don Wallace, contributing editor
Weekend Sunrises
Most quarantine weekends, I wake up to home security camera video clips followed by texts of gorgeous beach sunrise photos. Both are documenting my husband and son’s before-sunrise fishing trips. I double-tap the sunrise photo, send a heart and wait for their next text—most often it’s an image of the sun higher in the sky. A few times, I’ve received pictures of smiling eyes above a UV gaiter mask and a hand holding a pāpio or moana. —Christine Labrador, art director
