Exploring: Calendar > Oahu
Attending a local festival, sports event, art exhibit, or live musical or drama performance can give you a real feel for island life. The Aloha Festival, in September or October, is the nation’s largest statewide festival. Every island hosts at least a week of events celebrating Hawaiian culture and arts and the varied heritage of the islands.
Throughout the year, hula exhibitions and competitions are wonderful opportunities to see the ancient (kahiko) hula and the contemporary (auana) hula danced by young children and men and women of all ages.
May Day is Lei Day, with lei contests, concerts, and programs at all the schools. On summer weekends, Buddhist temples hold O-Bon festivals with services, candlelighting ceremonies, and folk dances and drumming — anyone can join in. Chinese and Vietnamese families celebrate the lunar new year; Japanese families celebrate New Year’s, Boys Day and Girls Day with special foods, decorations and family visits. Folk dances of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Okinawa are being revived and performed at local festivals. Along with the 4th of July and Veterans Day, the state celebrates Kamehameha Day, Prince Kuhio Day and Statehood Day.
There are also farm fairs, town festivals, art shows, school carnivals, orchid shows, rodeos, canoe races, marathons and the Iron Man Triathlon, the Aloha Bowl, craft fairs, professional golf tournaments, concerts, varsity sports events, and much more. Many events are free, and visitors are welcome. No event is complete without a food booth; some events are rated by attendees according to the variety and quantity of foods being sold.
The calendar is arranged by month. Simply select a month from the menu on the left. The calendar is updated on a continual basis, so check back with us often.