Hawaii
Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival Starts This Weekend
Historical images of cane truck drivers during the plantation time, courtesy the Honokaʻa Heritage Center
(BIVN) – Three decades ago, the last local sugar plantation closed in Hāmākua. For the next two weeks, Honokaʻa town will host Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival in reflection on that era.
From the Honokaʻa Heritage Center news release promoting the event:
The 2024 Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival, is a community-driven heritage event that will honor the stories and people who built the economy and culture of the Hāmākua Coast. Timed to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 closure of the last local sugar plantation, the Festival will salute surviving plantation workers, highlight the contributions of each of the various ethnic groups that immigrated to work on the plantations, showcase sustainable agricultural initiatives with promise for the post-sugar era, and explore the roots of resilience in the local community as it confronted the economic and social impacts of the closure.
The Honoka‘a Heritage Center is working closely with local community groups to organize and host a diverse lineup of fun, family-friendly events across Honoka‘a Town over a two-week period (Oct. 5-20, 2024). The Festival is expected to attract at least 6,000 attendees, from around the island and state, as well as from overseas.
Festival highlights include:
Recognizing the Sugar Workers Luncheon – Sat., Oct. 5 (Invite only)
If you or a family member worked for Hamakua Sugar Company, please contact (808) 437-1947 for tickets to this free luncheon saluting the sugar workers.
Screenings of New Documentary Film, “Roots of Resilience: Stories of Hāmākua Sugar” (Free to attend)
Throughout the festival, attendees can view free screenings of the Honoka‘a Heritage Center’s new film based on its 2023 oral history project. Roots of Resilience: Stories of Hāmākua Sugar is a one-hour documentary that features compelling first-person stories of local sugar workers, their families, and community members, capturing the profound impact of the sugar plantation era on the Hāmākua Coast. Screenings at the Honoka‘a People’s Theatre on Oct. 11 (5 pm and 7pm), Oct. 12 (2 pm) and Oct. 13 (5pm and 7pm).Softball Tournament – Sun., Oct. 6, 9 am (Free to attend)
An Intergenerational Softball Tournament at Honoka a County Park will bring back the friendly competition of the old “camp against camp” games. Refreshments available for purchase.
Photo of final harvest parade, courtesy the Honokaʻa Heritage Center
Family Friendly Fun at the Hāmākua County Fair – Sat., Oct. 12, all day (Free to attend)
The Hāmākua County Fair promises a day full of excitement for everyone:10:00 a.m.: Parade through Honoka a Town ʻ11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.: Live music on the main stage at the Honoka a Park Complex (Hālau Kuaunu, Ryan Hiraoka, Kingside, Pas & Sala, Hui Hoʻokani, the Honokaʻa Jazz Band, Kalapana Awa Band and more!)All Day:
Vendors throughout the Honoka‘a Park Complex, including local food and artisanal crafts.
Keiki activities: Pumpkin patch, costume contest, races, STEM games, face painting, and bounce house.
“Sugar Town” inside the county gym features vendors of all things sweet, student art show, sale of festival merchandise, lucky number drawings, demonstrations, and commemorative Pogs.
Hāmākua Energy Agriculture and Sustainability Expo, with exhibitors offering information, demos, games, and giveaways focused on sustainable agriculture and ranching. Attendees can explore traditional and modern farming techniques and learn how to incorporate sustainable practices.
On Māmāne Street, visitors can enjoy the Mutt Contest and Poi Dog Pageant at the former Bank of Hawaii parking lot; and a Cultural Village at the Honokaʻa Heritage Center with cultural exhibits and demonstrations. The Plantation Worker Hub at the Honokaʻa Union Hall will be a place for workers and their families to gather, share stories, and even record oral histories.
Cultural Heritage Events – Oct. 14-17 & 20 (Free to attend)
Cultural Heritage Events will celebrate some of the diverse ethnic groups who immigrated to work on the plantation, put down roots, and contributed to the unique “local” culture that characterizes Hawai‘i today:Japanese Night: Oct. 14, 5 p.m. – Presentation by Dr. Patsy Iwasaki about Katsu Goto, plus food, followed at 7 p.m. by the film “Picture Bride” at the Honokaʻa People s Theatre.
Portuguese Night: Oct. 15, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. – Portuguese games, food, demos and exhibits at the Honoka‘a Heritage Center.
Filipino Night: Oct. 16, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. – Guest speaker on Filipino contributions to the labor movement, with refreshmants at the Honoka‘a People s Theatre.
Puerto Rican Night: Oct. 17, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. – Dance to Katchi Katchi music at the People’s Theatre; meet master cuatro maker John Guzman; food and exhibits.
Hawaiian Night: – Postponed; date TBA
Plantation Night at Honokaʻa High School Football Game – Oct. 18, 6 p.m. ($4 Seniors, $8 General admission)
Join us to root for the home team while honoring the Sugar Workers during the halftime show.
Golf Tournament – Oct. 20 (Paid player registration required, free to watch)
The festival will conclude with a Plantation Golf Tournament at the historic plantation-era Hāmākua Country Club.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The Honoka‘a Heritage Center is deeply grateful to the County of Hawai‘i for seed financial support and logistical assistance. We also wish to thank the many generous corporate sponsors whose donations have make the Hāmākua Sugar Days Festival possible. To date, the list (still in formation) includes: Sugar Legacy Sponsor: Hāmākua Energy; Sugar Mill Sponsors: Honokaʻa Hospital and Skilled Nursing, KTA Super Stores, CPB Foundation, Kualoa Ranch, and Turo; Sugar Harvester Sponsor: Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company; Sugar Cane Sponsors: HFS Federal Credit Union, Isemoto Contracting Co., Creative Arts Hawaii, Hawaii Affordable Properties, Honua Ola Bioenergy, Dodo Mortuary, Inc., Big Island Mechanical and Construction, Hawaii Johns, HPM Building Supply, Walmart, R. Sakata Insurance, and Bank of Hawaiʻi; and Sugar Planter Sponsors: Kuwaye Trucking, Donna’s Cookies, Kuhio Grille, Hawai‘i Community FCU, Kolea Hop Water, and I Luv Dumplings.
A growing number of community partners have provided generous in-kind support throughout the planning of the Festival. They include Hāmākua-Kohala Health, Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water, Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope, Honoka‘a People’s Theatre, Hawai‘i Community College, and Honoka‘a Public House.
The full schedule of events can be found at the Hāmākua Sugar Days website.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Newly redesigned Hawaii driver’s licenses and state IDs are beginning to arrive in mailboxes statewide.
The Department of Customer Services said more than 50,000 residents who renewed or obtained a license or state ID starting in mid-May began receiving the new cards last Friday.
Officials said the updated cards are made of 100% polycarbonate, with laser-engraved photos and added security features intended to deter tampering, fraud and identity theft.
The department said existing driver’s licenses and state IDs remain valid until their expiration dates and do not need to be replaced.
“There’s no reason for them to request a duplicate unless they would like the new card design,” said Kim Hashiro, director of the Department of Customer Services.
Residents were also reminded that temporary paper licenses are not accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for air travel. Travelers using a temporary credential should bring another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport.
Permanent plastic cards are typically mailed within six to eight weeks after an application is submitted, officials said.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Maui dive shop will welcome customers back this weekend after its Lahaina storefront was destroyed in the 2023 wildfires.
Maui Diving & Sporting Goods will hold a grand opening on Ulupono Street on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
“Losing the shop in the fire broke my heart, but reopening in Lahaina was never in question,” said store owner Jessica Pickering. “This town gave me everything I have right now. Rebuilding right here in Lahaina is my way of saying we’re still standing, we’re still here for our community, and we’re ready to enjoy this life with you.”
The business will offer the same services it’s known for at the new locations, including scuba instruction, guided dives, snorkel tours, freediving, as well as gear rentals and sales.
The grand opening will include a blessing followed by giveaways, games, and other activities.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After Super Typhoon Bavi whipped through the northwestern Pacific over the weekend, volunteers with the American Red Cross are preparing to provide aid.
Traveling through Hawaii for a quicker connection, volunteer Deborah Blaze is among a handful of volunteers staying in Oahu as they await flights to the Northern Mariana Islands. Airport closures have delayed the timeline for volunteers headed to the archipelago.
Blaze is returning to the islands after joining Red Cross relief efforts in the aftermath of another Super Typhoon, Sinlaku, which caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damages there in April.
“The people are so phenomenal. That’s the reason I wanted to go back because I was in Saipan. I was managing a shelter and we became like a family,” Blaze recalled.
Sinlaku claimed 17 lives and displaced thousands, making it the deadliest storm in Micronesia since 2002.
When asked to describe the storm’s devastation, Blaze said, “It was like, it was like a post-war scenario when we first got there. All the trees are ripped off and houses are destroyed.”
As the islands continued to recover, Bavi whipped through the Northern Mariana Islands over the weekend with winds as high as 180 miles an hour.
“We had over a thousand people in the shelter. And when I talked to those residents, a lot of them said, you know, we’ll be back tonight,” Red Cross volunteer Peter Teahen said.
Teahen has been in Saipan since before Bavi’s arrival and drove around the island to assess damage Monday afternoon after a mandated lockdown was lifted.
Because Sinlaku left so much destruction, Teahen said it is unclear what Bavi left behind, adding the damages are, “just not obvious from, you know, just driving down the street. It was a common phrase that I heard. ‘We just have to clean up again.’ You can kind of hear the exhaustion in there.”
To ease the burden on those impacted, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers provided shelter, meals and supplies after Sinlaku and will do so again when it’s safe.
“I get a sense of a very positive culture here and very private culture that, they know that they’re going to have to take care of themselves, but they will need the help of the Red Cross,” Teahen said.
Aubry Hocog, mayor of Rota, an island hit hard by Bavi, told Hawaii News Now, “A lot of our utility poles have been damaged especially in the Songsong area and so really there’s going to be a lot of work that we are going to have to do, but we’re ready for that. I know that our people are concerned, our people are scared, our people are worried, but I know that by working together, communicating with each other, being transparent, that we can overcome this.”
Click here if you want to donate to the Red Cross’ relief efforts. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999.
If you want to become a volunteer, more information is available here.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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