Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend: March 8–12, 2017
A lineup of the weekend's best events.
Photo: Courtesy of Honolulu Biennial
Honolulu Biennial 2017
Wednesday, March 8 to Monday, May 8
Following the end of Honolulu’s art-centered Pow! Wow!, another welcome addition to Hawai‘i’s art scene arrives in the form of the Islands’ first-ever Honolulu Biennial, a contemporary arts festival running throughout nine locations in Honolulu. Aiming to highlight the cultural diversity of places connected by the Pacific Ocean, the biennial will focus on art from Hawai‘i, the Pacific Islands, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. During this two-month-long event, entitled Middle of Now | Here, visitors and locals will have the opportunity to explore art through weekly docent-led tours held at local landmarks, talks led by artist influencers and creative workshops. For busy bees who only have time for one event, consider hitting Honolulu Biennial’s largest exhibition venue, The Hub, located in the former Sports Authority (333 Ward Ave.). Admission into The Hub is $7, but fees vary depending on location—we suggest checking Honolulu Biennial’s website for all needed info.
Various locations throughout O‘ahu, single-day tickets and unlimited access passes available. For more information on Honolulu Biennial and to purchase tickets, go here.
Aged Japanese Whisky and Scotch Tasting
Thursday, March 9, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
While St. Patrick’s Day serves as a perfect excuse to overindulge on Jameson and Bushmills, lovers of the spirit know there’s a lot of good whiskey to be had outside of Ireland. And for those who don’t, well, 12th Ave Grill gives you an opportunity to be educated this Thursday with a special event. In an exploration of how scotch whisky has influenced the newer age of Japanese whiskies, 12th Ave will offer tastes of rare and highly sought after Japanese whiskys (from award-winning distilleries such as Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu) for side-by-side comparison with their classic Scotch counterparts. Of course, drinking is always better with food and the restaurant’s delicious tasting bites will make you forget about whisky for a hot minute: spiced-cider-braised pork belly, Kualoa oysters, Kona abalone tataki and more. A post-tasting dinner is also included, so stick around until the end.
$195, 12th Ave Grill, 1120 12th Ave. For more information, go here.
Photo: Courtesy of Honolulu Festival
23rd Annual Honolulu Festival
Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 12
“So … what’s your ethnicity?” Depending on who and where you’re asking, this question could be considered incredibly rude. But here, it’s one of the best opportunities to turn a stranger into a friend (and, OK, maybe crack some lighthearted ethnic jokes as well). The Honolulu Festival, held this weekend at various locations throughout the city, is a celebration of all the strands of cultural influence that make up our Island DNA. The three-day festival (this year’s theme: “Cultural Harmony, Journey to Peace”) includes traditional art and dance performances from countries in the Pacific region—a friendship gala, a craft fair, a food truck festival featuring local vendors, and bon dancing are just a few of the events lined up for this weekend. At 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, stake out a spot on Waikīkī Beach, lean back and tune in to 105 KINE for a front-and-center experience of Honolulu Festival’s grand Nagaoka Fireworks finale. Trust us, you’ll be seeing stars.
Free, various locations throughout Honolulu. For more information on Honolulu Festival, go here.
Hawaiian Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show
Saturday, March 11, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
While it may be true that all dogs go to heaven, eligibility to compete in the Hawaiian Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show is a little more stringent. From hounds to herders to toys to terriers, only the purebred pups are in the running to be No. 1, and, to win, owners will dedicate copious amounts of pre-show time brushing, trimming and blow-drying each strand of fur into perfect place. The work won’t be in vain, though—one of these show dogs will take home the coveted blue ribbon, and, for its owner, a prize even more valuable: bragging rights. But all dog lovers are welcome to follow the competition as spectators and will undoubtedly enjoy seeing and learning about all the different breeds.
$5, Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, 777 Ward Ave. For more information, go here.
Looking for more things to do this month? Click here for more events.
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