Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Weekend in Honolulu: January 6–8
Lei Chic’s guide to the weekend’s best events.
New in Store …
To give you the best, most weekend-worthy events in every category—dining, culture, shopping and beyond—we’re moving our weekend picks over from Lei Chic to HONOLULU Weekend Picks, an all-new, upcoming newsletter to be delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Don’t worry, it’ll be the same fun event guide you’ve come to love, only better. Think this might be exactly what your life needs? Subscribe to our HONOLULU Weekend Picks e-newsletter here.
Photo: Courtesy of Honolulu Museum of Art
Watch: Dear Zindagi at Doris Duke Theatre
Saturday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m.
Honolulu Museum of Art holds its 10th annual Bollywood Festival, kicking off this Saturday at 6 p.m. in the usual Bollywood fashion with dancing, singing, drinking and eating. Dear Zindagi will be the first screening of the event at 7:30 p.m., with additional showings on Sunday and Tuesday (watch the trailer here). The New York Times critics’ pick stars Alia Bhatt as Kaira, a talented young cinematographer living in Mumbai. She breaks up with her boyfriend for the guy she is actually in love with, only to find him newly engaged to someone else (don’t you hate when that happens?). An eviction from her rented apartment is the final straw to solidify a return to her hometown of Goa. There, she develops a friendship with the eccentric psychologist Dr. Jehangir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), who guides her as she learns to face her personal fears and insecurities.
$8–$35, Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art, 901 Kīnaʻu St. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Explore: 181st Birthday of Queen Emma Open House
Friday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Queen Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke, or simply Queen Emma, remains as much of an influence in the Islands today as she was more than a century ago. Just try to imagine a Hawai‘i without Queen’s Medical Center, ‘Iolani School, St. Andrew’s Priory or St. Andrew’s Cathedral and you’ll see what we mean. In honor of her 181st birthday, the Queen Emma Summer Palace will offer free admission this Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ever wondered what royalty might wear to their own wedding? On Friday, the queen’s wedding gown, veil and slippers, which were worn on her wedding day in 1856 to King Kamehameha IV, will be on special display. Maybe you’ll get some ideas for your own royal wedding—the Queen Emma Summer Palace is also available as a wedding location.
Free, Queen Emma Summer Palace, 2913 Pali Highway. For more information on the Queen Emma Summer Palace, go here.
Photo: Courtesy of Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Listen: Chance the Rapper at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena
Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
From dominating the music scene to starring in Kit Kat’s latest commercial, it seems that Chance the Rapper is just so hot right now. Although his career is still revving up, the Chicago native’s talents are undeniable: His third mixtape, Coloring Book, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and was met with widespread critical acclaim. He’s already been featured on big-name albums such as Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, and was even listed as No. 7 on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 music list. So, whether you’re a die-hard fan or just curious about the hype, this show is worth adding to your weekend calendar. Chance’s Saturday show sold out long ago, but you can still snag tickets to his new show on Sunday, which was added because, well, he’s just so hot right now.
$45–$65, Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, 777 Ward Ave. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Shop: Fantastic New Year Party at MORI by Art + Flea
Saturday, Jan. 7, 6 to 9 p.m.
OK, so maybe we have no idea where to find mythical beasts, but we muggles do know a thing or two about throwing a fantastic bash. This Saturday, MORI by Art + Flea celebrates 2017 with a new year’s party inspired by the new Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Visit its location at South Shore Market—MORI has worked with some local artists to design an exclusive limited-edition piece inspired by the film, which you’ll have a chance to shop among other local brands such as YKnot Bowties, Sohom, Paper Bag Vintage and items from the newest addition to MORI’s collective, screen-print artist Holly Cole Luke. Watanabe Bakery will be there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with special drinks and treats. 1920s attire is highly encouraged, and a photo booth provided by Photo Ops Hawai‘i will be there to snap you in your best vintage garments.
MORI by Art + Flea at South Shore Market, 1170 Auahi St., Suite 105. For more information on this and other events at MORI, go here.
Chefs Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush of Senia. Photo: Courtesy of The Traveling Plate
Dine: The Traveling Plate Honolulu
Sunday, Jan. 8, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
What if we told you that your gluttony could make the community a better place? It’s true—this Sunday, anyway. The Traveling Plate, a statewide culinary tour that held events on Maui, Kaua‘i and the Big Island last summer, celebrates its final stop at Senia, the new downtown culinary kid on the block with exquisitely creative dishes that have had the whole town talking. If you’ve been curious, now is the perfect opportunity to see what the buzz is all about. A fundraiser for Easter Seals Hawai‘i, the event features local celebrity chefs and locally sourced ingredients while supporting an organization that helps empower those with disabilities to live independent, fulfilling lives. Although the 5:30 p.m. seating is full, there are still a few openings left for the 7:30 p.m. seating—but hurry!
$175, Senia, 75 N. King St. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
