Your Weekend: The Best Family Events-May 15, 2019

Our picks for the weekend's best family events.

Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association

Slippah Walk and Visitor Industry Charity Walk

Want to help break a Guinness World Record this weekend? Wear your most comfortable slippahs (flip-flops) and join others for a 1K stroll around Ala Moana Beach Park for “the most number of walkers at one time wearing slippers.” This inaugural event raises funds for Wounded Warrior ʻOhana. Immediately after the Slippah Walk is the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, a 5-mile course with 17 food-and-beverage checkpoints along the streets of Waikīkī. The route begins and ends at Magic Island and U-turns at Kapahulu Avenue. After the walk, live music and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m. near the start and finish lines. You can register online by Friday and pick up your packets at the park, or register between 6 and 7 a.m. prior to the walk. Please note that at least one supervising adult must accompany their keiki ages 12 and younger. Sorry, pets aren’t allowed. 

• All ages
• $15 per person Slippah Walk only; $40 per person Charity Walk only; $45 per person Slippah and Charity walks.
• Saturday, May 18. 5 a.m. check-in begins; 7 a.m. Slippah Walk; 8 a.m. Charity Walk; and 11:30 a.m. party and awards.
• Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park. 1201 Ala Moana Beach Park.
• 808-923-0407
• charitywalkhawaii.org

Horse Show and Country Fair

Whack a polo ball as far as you can, ride ponies and meet mini horses this Saturday at the Horse Show and Country Fair in Waimānalo. This fundraiser benefits Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaiʻi, a nonprofit in Waimānalo that trains therapy horses to assist people with special needs. The ball whack and other kid-friendly activities begin at 9 a.m., followed by the horse show itself at 10 a.m. Bring enough cash for scrip and snacks.

Here are five important things to know about the event. Visit “Our Guide: Horse Show and Country Fair.”

• All ages
• Free general admission
• Saturday, May 18. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Waimānalo Polo Field Arena. 41-1062 Kalanianaʻole Highway, Waimānalo
• 808-342-9036
• thhwaimanalo.org

Heʻeia Estuary Restoration

Join other volunteers at Heʻeia State Park to remove invasive species and replace them with native Hawaiian plants. This monthly volunteer project helps erosion control and provides habitats for other species. Afterward, the group goes on a short walk to the private Heʻeia Fish Pond to learn about its history and efforts to restore the area. If you can’t make this volunteer day, the next ones are on June 15, July 20 and Aug. 17. Please email volunteer@huihawaii.org to reserve your spot and receive directions to the site.

• All ages; but recommended for elementary-grade keiki and older.
• Free
• Saturday, May 18. 9 a.m. to noon
• Heʻeia State Park. 46-465 Kamehameha Highway, Kāneʻohe
• 808-381-7202 or 808-277-5611
• huihawaii.org

Manu O Kū Festival

Here’s some trivia for your keiki: What’s the official bird of Honolulu? It’s the Manu O Kū (white tern)! Learn more about this feathered friend at a festival this Sunday in downtown Honolulu. Keiki can go on bird tours (bring binoculars), play bird-themed games, make crafts and view a photo-video exhibit. Dress up as your favorite wildlife animal and compete in a costume contest. The festival is free but cash is recommended if you plan to buy Nathan’s hot dogs, sodas, ice cream and chips from the concession cart.

• All ages
• Free
• Saturday, May 18. 11 am. to 3 p.m.
• Coronation grounds, ʻIolani Palace. 364 S. King St.
• 808-593-0255
• manuokufestival.org

Bank of Hawaiʻi Family Sunday

Spend a few hours this Sunday at the Honolulu Museum of Art, where keiki can make their own paper quilts and prints inspired by Dutch contemporary artist Marian Bijlenga. Listen to live entertainment in the courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and watch free films in the Doris Duke Theatre at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. If your family would like to explore an open-air art museum instead, ride the free shuttle to Spalding House in Makiki Heights. There, keiki can make patterned sculptures inspired by artist Winnifred Hudson’s Plant Life and Light, visit the galleries and have a picnic next to outdoor sculptures. Activities at both sites end at 2 p.m., but you’re welcome to stay at Spalding House until 4 p.m. (check the final departure time of the shuttle bus) and the art museum until 4:30 p.m.

• All ages
• Free admission
• Sunday, May 19. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Honolulu Museum of Art, 900 S. Beretania St.; Spalding House, 2411 Makiki Heights Drive
• 808-532-8700
• honolulumuseum.org