With New Year’s and other holidays in the rear view mirror, you might be recovering from parties. Looking for things to do this weekend on Friday, Saturday or Sunday? Aloha State Daily has you covered:
Friday, Jan. 9
Listen to The Green at the Blue Note Hawaiʻi. Catch The Green, a cornerstone of the reggae music scene, with special guest DJ Hapa Boy at the Blue Note Hawaiʻi on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 or Jan. 23 and 24. Each night has two shows. The event is being presented by Island 98.5. The Green opened for Grammy-winning superstar Bruno Mars at his sold-out shows at Blaisdell Arena in 2014 and Aloha Stadium in 2018. Tickets for the upcoming Blue Note Hawaiʻi shows are $65-$85. Details.
Kapono’s at The Lounge. Starting Jan. 9, Kapono’s at The Lounge in Hawaiʻi Kai will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The newly opened Kapono’s at The Lounge includes three performance spaces: The Lounge, The Velvet Monkey and Studio B. Friday, Jan. 9, is the start of a new series, Aloha Fridays, which is a pau hana experience, with live music presented by the Henry Kapono Foundation. There is no cover charge. On Jan. 10, the space will launch its ticketed Saturday Live weekly concert series with performances from Johnny Valentine at The Velvet Monkey and 3 Little Birds, produced by Henry Kapono, at The Lounge. Sunday brunches will also feature live music. Details.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Schaefer Portrait Challenge. This visiting special exhibit, which opened Jan. 2 at Capitol Modern, the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, in Downtown Honolulu, includes a selection of 40 portraits from artists living on five islands: Maui, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi. Called the Schaefer Portrait Challenge, this statewide juried exhibit has been held every three years at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, since 2003. The portraits will be on display through July at Capitol Modern, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Details.
Sunday, Jan. 11
New Year’s ʻOhana Festival. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi is hosting its 33rd annual New Year’s ʻOhana Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its campus in Mōʻiliʻili. Enjoy snacks, food and drinks from 14 local vendors, as well as crafts and merchandise from 25 local businesses. Receive a New Year’s blessing and pruchase omamori, or amulets, from Shinto shrines. There will be taiko, hula, sumo, kendo and more. Family friendly cultural activity booths will teach the art of calligraphy, mini-ikebana, Japanese enameling, origami and other activities. Inside the cultural centerʻs gift shop, attendees can purchase fukubukuro, or lucky bags, and a 2026 Year of the Horse t-shirt designed by Sumofish. Details.
Sign up for 250+ miles in 2026. Do you have a New Year’s resolution to be more active in 2026? Hawaiʻi Running Lab is hosting its fifth year of challenges. Participants can sign up to complete 250, 500, 750 or 1,000 miles in 2026. Miles count if they are walked or ran. If you complete one of the four challenges, take home a $50 gift card from Kalapawai Market and $30 gift card to Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine, as well as other gifts and discounts from local partners. Participants get a challenge shirt or other swag for signing up. Each challenge is $60. Details.
Want to know what is coming up in Hawaiʻi sports? Check out this guide to the week ahead from ASD Reporter Christian Shimabuku.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
