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.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tal-airbnb-one-off-tout-1465b3bde0864117b43761b0d1dd346e.jpg?ssl=1 "This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite")
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The team behind a popular Hawaii-based home renovation show is now facing legal troubles after airing content that shouldn’t have been released, according to the state.
Hawaii’s Attorney General is now involved after HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ showed uncensored images of apparent ancient skeletal remains that were discovered at a Hilo property.
In a now-deleted clip on social media, Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, along with the production team, discovered a cave beneath a Hilo property where they found the remains deep inside.
Video documented their shock when it was found, with the hosts saying, “There’s bones back here. I got to get out of here. Are you fricken serious? I’m serious dude. Is that a skull?”
Tristyn was seen standing further back, saying “This is terrifying. I’m at my stopping point” before leaving.
Hawaii News Now is not showing the bones, but confirmed with HGTV the episode was filmed in December 2025.
Video didn’t show them touching or moving the remains, and HGTV said authorities were notified after the discovery, the property was not developed, and the site was later blessed.
At the time, police said no crime was committed, and the state AG obtained a TRO to prevent the broadcast of the images in accordance with state law.
However this week, uncensored video of the bones was posted online by the Kalamas and HGTV, and included in the episode, triggering a quick rebuke from the community.
“We don’t kaula’i iwi. We do not lay our bones out in the sun to expose him in this manner,” former Oahu Island Burial Council Chair Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said.
She also said the release of the images was “extremely disappointing,” saying the damage was already done.
“It is irrelevant that bones were not moved. It is irrelevant that they were not disturbed, per se, because somebody didn’t touch them — but you went into their space and that space becomes kapu space once they have transitioned over to po. And when you do that, we honor that. We don’t disturb them,” Wong-Kalu added.
The AG said they took immediate legal action to prevent the unlawful broadcast of images, pointing to a TRO issued prior to the episode’s release. They also said, “We are aware that the segment aired notwithstanding the court’s order, and we take this matter very seriously. The Department will pursue additional action as necessary.”
Court Documents revealed the Kalamas and producers of the show are now facing four counts for allegedly breaking Iwi Kupuna protection rules.
“If that were our grandparent, would we want them, after they have physically transitioned to po, would we want to share our family in this manner? I don’t think so,” Wong-Kalu added.
HGTV said in a statement, “We take the concerns raised by the community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, that was not HGTV’s intention.”
They also confirmed the original episode was removed, and re-edited without the bones included.
Through our communication with the HGTV spokesperson, Hawaii News Now offered the Kalamas a chance to respond directly, but they did not. They did however take to Instagram to address the episode, saying they followed the protocols they knew, and never intended to build there. They stressed their respect for Hawaiian culture and practices.
The investigation remains active.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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