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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"My cart would probably look the same too!"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @Erickonda__, who definitely needs to buy another check-in bag.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"Ring in the holidays with these festive pop-ups across O‘ahu:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Grinchmas Bar"}]

 features festive decorations and lights. Seasonal cocktails ($16 each) include The Grinch, Jack Frost, gingerbread martinis, spiked hot cocoa and more. 

: Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"MAKANA"}]

: ‘Alohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach, 2490 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu 

i holiday pop-up bar features an immersive holiday environment with festive décor, warm lights and tropical greenery. Located at the resort’s Oceanarium Lounge, the pop-up is designed for attendees ages 21 years and older, and features a line-up of themed holiday cocktails.

Valet ($15) and self-parking available for up to three hours for attendees. 

: 4-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 4 p.m. to midnight Fridays-Saturdays through Jan. 1, 2026 (grand opening Dec. 9)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Spirits of the Season"}]

: Prince Waikīkī, 100 Holomoana St., Honolulu 

: Prince Waikīkī’s Spirits of the Season menu features creative cocktails from some of Honolulu’s top mixologists. Guests can find these expertly crafted cocktails at both, 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar and the resort’s Hinana Bar.

Several of the featured mixologists will be on-site at 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, 9 and 15. 

princewaikiki.com/dine/spirits-of-the-season/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Christmas Bar Hawaiʻi"}]

 is tucked away within Tiki’s Grill & Bar. The pop-up is known for its festive drinks and over-the-top décor.

Enjoy new beverages like Very Merry Spritz ($22), Minty Express ($19), Santa’s Nightcap ($21) and Campfire Old Fashioned ($19).

No reservations are accepted; first-come, first-served. 

: Open 2-11:30 p.m. weekdays, noon to 11:30 p.m. on weekends until Dec. 30

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Christmas Lodge"}]

: The Christmas Lodge pop-up is located in the former Chili’s space at Pearlridge Center. It features a cozy ski lodge theme; attendees must be age 21 years and older. This year, you can expect more seating, updated drinks, and crowd favorites like Butter Beer.

If you enjoy spooky vibes, ask to visit the Krampus Lair speakeasy, which is in a hidden section of The Christmas Lodge. You can find beers and the speakeasy’s exclusive Zombie drink. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Naughty List Lounge"}]

What: The Boardroom Kailua’s holiday pop-up bar features tasty specials and seasonal drinks. Specials include housemade local butternut squash soup ($16), housemade loaded bacon and potato soup ($16), 14-ounce prime rib with house chimichurri ($62) and desserts (all $12) like housemade holiday ube cheesecake, orange rosemary crème brulee, handmade apple pie empanadas and more.

Holiday cocktails include Santa’s Night Cap ($15), French Kiss ($16), White Christmas Cosmo ($16), Sleigh Queen ($16) and The Nice List ($16). Celebratory bottles of bubbles ($35) will also be available. 

: 5 p.m. to closing Wednesdays to Sundays; guests can make reservations via Yelp 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Winter Garden Room"}]

: Romer House Waikīkī, 415 Nahua St., Honolulu 

: While it’s not necessarily a cocktail bar, the Winter Garden Room is a seasonally transformed private dining room where attendees can enjoy 855-ALOHA’s full food menu. Guests are invited to enjoy live acoustic Christmas music, “snowfall,” the eatery’s holiday cocktail (The White Christmas margarita) and The Lei Stand’s holiday cocktail (Rum-Rum Rudolph Eggnog).

Romer House Waikīkī is hosting its Sparkle & Shine event in The Winter Garden Room on Dec. 14. Tickets cost $89 per person; this event will include Osetra caviar, chilled oysters, charcuterie, live holiday music by Cory Oliveros and “snowfall” every 30 minutes from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m. 

: “Snowfall” will be available daily at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. nightly until Dec. 31

 for more information about Sparkle and Shine

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Valor Hawaiʻi"}]

i (located at Pearlridge Center’s Wai Makai food court) just launched its holiday cocktail menu.

Enjoy new drinks like Koloa cane fire shot ($9), Grinch Punch ($12), peppermint espresso martini ($12), fig Old Fashioned ($13), Jack Frost ($12) and Abuelita’s hot cocoa ($12). 

: 12 to 10 p.m. daily (11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays) until Dec. 31

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Winter Wonderland"}]

: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. Space 1310, Honolulu 

: This Christmas-themed pop-up bar will be open in the former Surfers Bakery space at Ala Moana Center. You can look forward to holiday drinks, festive surprises and dreamy décor. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Yules Truly"}]

: Yours Truly, a cocktail bar tucked away in Downtown Honolulu, gets a festive makeover and transforms to Yules Truly during the holidays.

Enjoy speakeasy-exclusive drinks like Oh Pear Tree ($18), Ginger Gentleman ($18) and Jingle Java ($18). In the speakeasy, guests can place their orders by filling out a postcard with their name and order, and receiving their cocktail through an assigned mailbox.

The lounge area also features exclusive drinks like North Pole Potion ($18) and Island Wonderland ($18).

: Now through Dec. 30 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) 

Holiday cocktails The Christmas Lodge 120425

<title>Christmas pop-ups to check out this holiday season</title>

No matter what vibe you’re going for, one of these Christmas bars is sure to satisfy.

Christmas pop-ups to check out this holiday season

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Kamehameha Schools is facing a possible legal challenge over its admissions policy.

The Virginia-based nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions launched a 

 Thursday condemning Kamehameha Schools’ policy granting preference to Native Hawaiian students over any others.

“We believe that focus on ancestry, rather than merit or need, is neither fair nor legal, and we are committed to ending Kamehameha’s unlawful admissions policies in court,” reads the website.

While no court case has yet been filed, the message on the website urges parents whose children have been denied admission to Kamehameha Schools to share their stories.

Students for Fair Admissions has launched other campaigns against affirmative action policies at other schools. In particular, in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court found that race-based admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were unconstitutional as a result of cases brought by the group's founder, Edward Blum.

Blum is a conservative activist with a lengthy career of lawsuits against various policies or procedures that, he argues, are unfairly preferential to minority or ethnic groups.

Kamehameha Schools issued a statement on the matter Thursday assuring that they are “confident that our policy aligns with established law, and we will prevail.”

“We anticipated that our nearly 140-year-old admissions policy, providing preference to Native Hawaiian children, would again be challenged,” the statement read. “…Our kula and operational leaders are prepared and committed to vigorously defending the vision of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.”

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees made its own statement, calling SFFA’s challenge “not only a direct affront to the will and legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, but also an attack on the right of Native Hawaiians to care for our own, on our own terms.”

OHA’s statement noted that SFFA has no connection or commitment to Hawai‘i and that its challenge is not new, but represents one component of an escalating series of attacks against “the hard-won protections that enable our people to heal, rise and chart our future.”

In a 2003 lawsuit, Doe v. Kamehameha Schools, a U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the schools after an unnamed teenager — who was not Native Hawaiian — sought admission to Kamehameha Schools.

, Kamehameha Schools defended its policy on the grounds that it is a privately funded school system and that it exists to correct ongoing imbalances facing Native Hawaiians, particularly an educational need recognized by the U.S. Congress.

 in 2006 that the admissions policy is valid and “designed to counteract the significant, current educational deficits of Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i,” Kamehameha Schools 

 $7 million to the student a year later when the case was poised to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Aloha State Daily reached out to OHA, Kamehameha Schools and SFFA for comment.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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