Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend: July 14–16, 2017
A lineup of the weekend’s best events.
What better time to celebrate our beautiful state than right now? Our lineup this week is all about Hawai‘i Nei: Celebrate one of Hawai‘i’s favorite tropical fruits (hint: it rhymes with “tango”) with not one but two festivals this weekend. If you find yourself thinking, “Wow, that is way too much mango for one weekend,” don’t worry, there’s other fun stuff on the radar, such as an ‘ukulele festival in Waikīkī, which includes a spectacular performance by a 700-piece ‘uke orchestra, the first birthday lūʻau of a certain boutique hotel (who partnered with us for this weekend guide!) and an opportunity for antiquing at one of the longest-running collectibles shows in Hawai‘i.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF Mangoes at the moana
Ninth Annual Mangoes at the Moana
Saturday, July 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hawai‘i’s fave summer fruit returns to the Moana Surfrider with the ninth annual Mangoes at the Moana, taking place on Saturday. There’s something mango-centric for people of all ages, from the Mākaha Mangoes farmers market to the boozy Mango Cocktail Mixdown. The celebration will feature lots of pop-ups showcasing the star ingredient, including a bakeshop by the Royal Hawaiian Bakery and a silent auction, both of which benefit the Kapiʻolani Community College Culinary Arts Program. If you enjoy your mangoes with a side of drama, buy a ticket to Mangoes at the Moana’s two special competitions: the Ultimate Mango Throwdown, in which eight chefs (including last year’s winner, Lee Anne Wong of Koko Head Café) battle it out to create their best mango-themed dishes; and the Mango Cocktail Mixdown, in which three participating hotel mixologists will attempt to craft the most delicious mango cocktail. Your $60 ticket includes admission to both competitions, plus eight scrips to trade for food and drink creations. Additional scrips will be available at the event for $8 each.
$0–$60, The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, 2365 Kalākaua Ave., Banyan Courtyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
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The Surfjack’s First Birthday Lūʻau
Saturday, July 15, noon to 4:30 p.m.
How does Hawai‘i celebrate first birthdays? With a lūʻau, of course! And the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday, is no exception. The hotel is partnering up with Wahea Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting Hawai‘i’s unique indigenous culture, for a lūʻau-themed birthday bash that will feature hula performances by Na Kamalei Hālau, live music by the award-winning group Keauhou, lei making, taro pounding and other traditional Hawaiian demos throughout the event. Resident eatery Mahina & Sun’s will cook up a special Hawaiian plate of lau lau, poi, lomi salmon and kālua pork for the event—because a lūʻau without ‘ono grinds is hardly one at all. Sales from the event will benefit Wahea Foundation.
Free, The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, 412 Lewers St. For more information on this event, go here.
Mango Jam Honolulu 2017
Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15
Brought to you by the Mayor’s Office of Culture & the Arts, Mango Jam Honolulu is also a celebration of Hawai‘i’s melting pot of Island culture, and you’ll find lots of music and dance performances from cultures spanning across the globe at this free family event. Local food vendors will offer mango-themed dishes and desserts (such as mango ice cream with shoyu, mango chicken and kālua pig with mango salsa) at the event, as well as other non-mango treats such as Hawaiian food, acai bowls, poi mochi and shave ice. Prefer to take your mango in liquid form? Adults can head to the mango lounge and try a list of specialty mango cocktails and beers. You can’t go wrong with the mimosa or mango-rita, but we’re going straight for the mouth-puckering pickled mango shot, made with pickled mango juice, vodka and a slice of ice-cold pickled mango. Mango Jam has lots of other fun things to offer during its two-day event, including fashion and craft booths with local jewelry, clothing, home goods and more for sale; a farmers market; and more.
Free, Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds, 550 S. King St. For more information on this event, go here.
PHOTO: Tina mahina
47th Annual ‘Ukulele Festival
Sunday, July 16, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
With its plucky sound and compact, perfectly transportable size, it almost seems that the ‘ukulele was made just for songs about sunny days, surf and laidback Island life. (It was not, however, made for those angsty head-bangers you listened to in high school—go buy a guitar.) Celebrate the instrument’s adorable, infectious sound at the 47th annual ‘Ukulele Festival, this Sunday at Kapiʻolani Park. Each year, families, tourists and ‘uke fans gather in the park to play and enjoy the sounds of Hawai‘i’s favorite instrument. Enjoy appearances and performances by ‘ukulele virtuosos, musicians hailing from around the world and local celebrities, as well as legendary ‘ukulele instructor Roy Sakuma’s humongous 700-student orchestra, with performers as young as 5 and as old as 85. The orchestra will delight the audience with its sheer size and performances of Hawaiian oldies, pop, reggae, jazz, rock—“Tunes that you never imagined could be played on the ‘ukulele,” hints the ‘Ukulele Festival website.
Free, Kapiʻolani Park, 3840 Pākī Ave. For more information on this event, go here.
Hawai‘i All-Collectors Show 2017
Sunday, July 16, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars … Let’s get real, America: Behind the obsessions with superhero reboots, Chuck Norris and super-sized anything, our country is just a grandma, antique hunting at the local garage sale with dreams of finding the modern-day equivalent of buried treasure. If this hits surprisingly close to home for you, you probably already know about the Hawai‘i All-Collectors Show this Sunday at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. One of Hawai‘i’s oldest collectibles shows, you can expect the ultimate antiquing experience with more than 100 dealers from Hawai‘i, the Mainland and Japan bringing in all sorts of great buys. In addition to Hawaiian memorabilia (ranging from the cool to the kitschy), the expo will also have estate jewelry and vintage items such as fashion, kimono, kitchenware, ‘ukulele, furniture, toys and lots more. Whether or not you stumble upon a forgotten treasure worth millions, you’re guaranteed to go home with your own special trove of old, ultra cool finds.
$2–$20, Neal S. 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.
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