Your Weekend: The Best Family Events-March 12, 2020
Watch a St. Patrick's Day Parade, celebrate Persian New Year and volunteer in a rainforest on the North Shore.
Photo: Courtesy of Society of the Friends of St. Patrick
Editor’s Note: All parents, including HONOLULU Family team members, are making constant choices as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. With this in mind, we have changed this week’s Weekend Guide to include a list of things to do if you decide to spend your free time at home. Activities include crafts, keiki-friendly recipes and more. If you do attend an event, we recommend calling ahead to see if plans have changed. Please also see our regularly updated list of cancelled family-friendly events.
‘Ohana Volunteer Day
If you’re looking for an outdoor volunteer activity with your kids, Waimea Valley on the North Shore needs people on Saturday morning to help clear invasive plant species and spruce up the rainforest as part of “‘Ohana Volunteer Day,” a special event for families with keiki ages 12 and younger. Only 20 open spaces were available as of Wednesday afternoon, so RSVP soon. If you do go, please equip your kids with snacks, ponchos or rain-resistant jackets, insect repellant and sunscreen, water bottles and closed-toed shoes. You can bring your own gloves or borrow a few pairs. Parking is free, and all volunteers receive free admission to the valley—so bring swimsuits and towels to play in the waterfall! The monthly plant sale will also be going on, so feel free to pick up a few more blooms for your garden.
SEE ALSO: Got older kids? Waimea Valley has two more volunteer opportunities designed for families with children ages 12 and up. Click here for details.
- All ages
- Free
- Saturday, March 14. 9 a.m. to noon; check in at Waimea Valley Visitors Center
- Waimea Valley, 59-864 Kamehameha Highway, Haleʻiwa
- (808) 638-7766 ext. 855
- volunteers@waimeavalley.net
- waimeavalley.net
Bank of Hawaiʻi Family Sunday-CANCELLED
Indoor Fun
Here are some of our favorite things to do when we’re at home with our kids.
- Make and play with rainbow foam.
- Whip up mochiko pancakes, Portuguese vinha d’alhos, strawberry shortcake ice pops, spaghetti tacos and more.
- Plant a backyard, lānai or windowsill garden.
- Read some of our 30 favorite local books.
- Build your own camping slumber party.
- Create your own keiki-decorated dinnerware.
- Decorate foaming soap dispensers and get your kids to use them!
- Grow rock candy geodes.
- Create a makerspace corner.
Find other ideas for inside fun in our food, crafts and books sections.
Easter Bunny Arrivals-Windward Mall and Ka Makana Ali‘i’s events have been canceled as of Friday, March 13
Go to the malls’ websites for updates on when the Easter Bunny will arrive.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The Patrick’s Day parade in Waikīkī on March 17 is still happening—but we’ll keep you posted on social media if the event is canceled. Before heading out, don your green getups, bring lawn chairs and snacks for the keiki, and claim your family’s space along the sidewalk of Kalākaua Avenue. This 90-minute procession begins at 1 p.m. next to Fort DeRussy Park, travels along Kalākaua Avenue and finishes at the bandstand at Kapiʻolani Park. About 800 participants—ranging from school groups to bagpipes players—are expected to march.
- All ages
- Free
- Tuesday, March 17. Noon to 1:30 p.m.
- Kalākaua Avenue from Fort DeRussy (2055 Kalia Road) to Queen Kapiʻolani Park Bandstand (2686-2882 Kalākaua Ave.)
- (808) 285-0874
- friendsofstapatrickhawaii.com
