Hawaii
29th annual Honolulu Festival offers weekend of cultural performances, activities
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The 29th annual Honolulu Festival takes place March 8-9 with a cultural celebration of music, dance and arts featuring 91 groups from Japan, the Pacific Rim and Hawaii.
Cultural performances will take place at the Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Center and Waikiki Beach Walk, and festivities include the Waikiki Grand Parade and Nagaoka Fireworks Show.
This year’s theme is “Bringing cultures together for a peaceful tomorrow.”
Honolulu Festival Foundation president Ted Kubo said, “Sharing culture, promoting education and environmental conservation are the core values of our Foundation and the inspiration that helps drive our corps of volunteers, our corporate donors and our government partners to make the Honolulu Festival a memorable experience for everyone to enjoy.”
For the first time, the Honolulu Festival Foundation is requiring a nominal admission fee for adults to enter the Kamehameha Exhibit Hall on the ground floor of the Hawaii Convention Center, where most cultural and music performances, arts, activities, exhibits, and the trade show takes place.
Attendees can save money and time by paying the admission fee in advance online or pay upon arrival at the Hawaii Convention Center.
Click here for full event information and check out a few highlights below.
Friendship Gala
Friday, March 7, 7 to 8:30 p.m., ticket purchase required.
Attendees are treated to a variety of delicious entrées and desserts prepared by popular Hawaii restaurants while enjoying live cultural music and dance performances. Proceeds support the Honolulu Festival Foundation’s educational and cultural programs.
Cultural Performances and Exhibits
Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Artisans from Japan, the Pacific Rim, and Hawaii will perform traditional music, dance and exhibitions of their native culture at three locations, the Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Center, and Waikiki Beach Walk.
The Hawaii Convention Center Exhibit Hall will feature more than 200 trade show booths offering an array of multicultural exhibits for attendees to enjoy and experience, including crafts by local vendors and works of art by local artists. Unique snacks and food delicacies from Japan will be available. Cultural displays include the Ennichi Corner with fun games and activities for children.
Sake and Food Fest
Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This highly popular exhibit has been expanded this year with more shops and foods from Japan to learn about and enjoy. A special highlight for attendees is the free samplings of select Japanese alcohol, such as sake, shochu, and awamori. Sake samplings are for adults ages 21 and older. Attendees must show identification.
Sushi to Me
Saturday, March 8, 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, at 11 a.m.
FREE NEW EVENT: This free and fun special workshop will present a rare opportunity for attendees to participate in a hands-on, real-time learning experience about the art of preparing sushi, as taught by a renowned sushi chef from Sushi Ginza Onodera Hawaii. Participation in one of the three sushi-making workshops will be limited to the first 100 attendees who sign up at the Sushi To Me exhibit area after entering the Hawaii Convention Center Exhibit Hall.
Bon Dance
Saturday, March 8, 12 to 12:15 p.m.; 2:20 to 2:35 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, 12:20 to 12:35 p.m.
Everyone is invited to join Hawaii’s first bon dance of 2025 near the front entrance of the Hawaii Convention Center Exhibit Hall.
Japanese Film Festival
Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Internationally acclaimed films are presented on the third floor of the Hawaii Convention Center. Admission is free, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. View film listings and times here.
Honolulu Rainbow Ekiden
Sunday, March 9, at 8 a.m.
A sister event of the Honolulu Festival, the 5K Honolulu Rainbow Ekiden is a relay race for teams of 3-5 runners starting at Kapiolani Park. Also offered is a 5K Fun Run & Walk for individuals and 1.6K ‘Oli ‘Oli Kid’s Challenge for children, ages 6-12. For information, please visit rainbowekiden.com.
Waikiki Grand Parade
Sunday, March 9, at 4:30 p.m.
This showcase of culture features dozens of performing groups, marching bands, parade floats, and demonstrations of cultural traditions that move through Waikiki along Kalakaua Avenue.
At 4 p.m., there will be 30 minutes of special performances in front of the four main stage areas on the route, after which the parade will get underway, leaving Saratoga Road near Fort DeRussy Park and continuing along Kalakaua Avenue before ending at Kapahulu Avenue at the entrance to Kapiolani Park.
Nagaoka Fireworks Show
Sunday, March 9, at 8:30 p.m.
Following the Grand Parade, the Nagaoka Fireworks Show concludes the Honolulu Festival celebration in spectacular fashion by illuminating the sky above Waikiki Beach with a sparkling orchestrated display of colorful and fascinating pyrotechnics. Three barges from where the fireworks are shot high into the sky will be safely positioned far away from the shoreline and centered between the approximate midpoint area facing Waikiki Beach. Spectators are encouraged to arrive at the beach early to secure their preferred viewing spots.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
First 5 Hawaii is a comprehensive online resource that helps families with young children find and connect to state and federal programs and services.
Honolulu (KHON2) – Navigating the many programs and services available for young children can be overwhelming, but First 5 Hawaii is making it easier for families to find the support they need.
Designed for families with children from birth to age 5, First 5 Hawaii is the state’s first comprehensive online resource that helps connect parents and caregivers with state and federal programs they may qualify for.
By answering a few simple questions, families can quickly discover resources tailored to their specific needs.
The website serves as a one-stop shop, partnering with 18 state and federal programs to help connect families with services such as preschool, child care assistance, health coverage, nutrition programs including WIC and SNAP, parenting support, developmental screenings, and special needs services.
Parents can also explore age-appropriate activities, child development information, and helpful parenting resources.
What sets First 5 Hawaii apart is its personalized eligibility screening tool.
Instead of searching multiple websites and applying for programs one at a time, families can use a single resource to identify benefits they may qualify for across early learning, health care, nutrition, housing assistance, and more.
Even families who aren’t sure they qualify are encouraged to give it a try. The online eligibility screener is free, confidential, and only takes a few minutes to complete.
Many families are surprised to learn they may be eligible for programs they didn’t know existed.
By bringing trusted resources together in one convenient location, First 5 Hawaii helps remove barriers for busy parents and makes it easier to access services that support healthy child development during the most important early years of life.
To learn more or complete the eligibility screener, visit the First 5 Hawaii website.
Three convicted sex offenders were arrested on Hawaii Island last week for allegedly failing to comply with sex offender registry requirements.
Multiple law-enforcement agencies conducted checks in Kona on registered sex offenders who had been identified as potentially out of compliance with the state’s Sex Offender Registry laws, according the Department of the Attorney General.
As a result of the three-day operation, several individuals were brought back into compliance, and three West Hawaii men were arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the requirements.
The three men who were arrested are Joseph Debus, 56, of Kailua-Kona, Garth Coleman, 53, of Holualoa and Alexsandr Skelcey, 34, of Kailua-Kona.
Debus was convicted of second-degree sex assault in Hawaii in 1993 and sentenced to five years probation with a year in jail. Coleman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault in 2000 after a jury trial in Hawaii. And Skelcey was convicted in Michigan in 2012 of assault with intent to commit sex assault.
“Sex offender registration requirements exist to protect our communities and ensure law enforcement knows where convicted offenders are living,” Tom Alipio, chief of the AG department’s Investigations Division, said in a press release. “Compliance operations like this send a clear message that we will actively monitor the registry, investigate violations and work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations.”
HPD Chief Reed Mahuna said, “Operations like this allow us to verify that offenders are maintaining strict compliance with registration laws and those who aren’t will be addressed immediately. We will continue to leverage these multi-agency partnerships to keep our island communities safe,”
Members of the public can look up publicly available offender information and subscribe to notifications at sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov/coveredoffender/.
Anyone with information regarding a registered sex offender who may be violating registration requirements is encouraged to contact the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigation Division at (808) 586-1240 or their local law enforcement.
A brush in North Kona, near the Ulu Wini Apartments, has closed a portion of Hina Lani Street, between Route 190 and Ane Keokalole Highway.
According to Hawai‘i Island police, the road is expected to be closed for the next three hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Hawai‘i Fire Assistant Chief Chris Carvalho confirmed at least two engines, two brush trucks, Chopper 2 and a medic vehicle responded to the blaze that started in some bushes.
No evacuations or injuries have been reported at this time.
At 11:09 a.m., an AlertWest camera, installed by Hawaiian Electric in wildfire-prone areas, showed smoke billowing above the Keahuolu Courthouse. As of 12:06 p.m., that smoke appears to have dissipated.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
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