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It's always good to teach your dog how to let you know when he's hungry...

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<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

 It&#039;s always good to teach your dog how to let you know when he&#039;s hungry...

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

From March to July of 1961, Victoria Ward Ltd. — owner of more than 60 acres in Kaka‘ako — announced a new master plan for its property, along with the first substantial structure that was to be part of this redevelopment.

This plan called for the Ward property along Ala Moana Boulevard from Queen Street to Ward Avenue to eventually be the site of six highrise buildings of seven or more stories, various lowrise buildings of up to four stories, and several parking structures of at least two stories to be randomly intermingled. Mauka of this, extending up to Queen Street would be short office buildings facing Ward Avenue and Kamakee Street and light industrial structures and warehouses filling in the rest.

The new IBM Building at 1240 Ala Moana Boulevard would be the first structure of this master plan, which actually was never fully realized. Although it was named for the main commercial tenant which leased it, the building was developed by Victoria Ward in reality. It stood seven stories tall, including the penthouse which served as an employee lounge. In total there were 61,961 square feet of space and the estimated cost would be $1.5 million ($16.5 million in todayʻs dollars). Victoria Ward would occupy half of the sixth floor while IBM took the first two floors; the company then had 90 employees in Hawai‘i but it’s not known how many of these would be moved into this new home. Parking directly around the building would accommodate 70 vehicles but 250 more could be parked in the near vicinity, which at that time included open land along with used car lots.

One unexpected aspect of the IBM Building’s construction was very much a response to the world’s international situation at the time. In 1961 the United States and the USSR were still engaged in what was called the Cold War; a standoff between the two superpowers which were trying to promote their respective economic and political systems in different countries while competing with, and maneuvering against, each other. This competition saw both nations arming themselves with quantities of nuclear missiles aimed at the other, with the worrying threat of a catastrophic atomic war seemingly always possible. As the IBM Building’s construction was in its early stages in October 1961, it was proposed to add an underground nuclear shelter beneath its parking lot with a capacity of 300 people, but this was soon dropped partly because of the abundant ground water not far below the surface which would complicate the project. Ironically, one year after this would come the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the USA discovered that Russian nuclear missiles had been installed in Cuba. This led to a short but extremely intense period in which the United States imposed a military “quarantine” in the ocean around the island to prevent Russian ships from bringing in more armaments, and the potential for atomic war was frighteningly close. But the USSR backed down, war was averted, and the lack of a large shelter under the IBM Building turned out to not be a problem — fortunately.

The lead architect for the IBM Building was Vladimir Ossipoff, who by this time had established himself as probably Hawaii’s leading modern designer. Ossipoff had been born in Russia but then had moved with his family to Japan as a child, where his father was stationed in the Russian embassy. After the Russian monarchy was overthrown in 1917 the family never returned to their homeland and immigrated to the United States in 1923. Vladimir attended high school and college in California and after graduating with an architectural degree in the early 1930s during the Depression, moved to Hawaii where he was able to get a job. His career had grown steadily since then.

Ossipoff equipped the IBM Building with a remarkable exterior composed of concrete elements that he designed, and which were then manufactured locally before being installed. These formed what’s called a “brise soleil,” a French term for a sunshade, which still serve to reduce the glare of direct sunlight through large windows while also cutting cooling costs. Unique to just this single structure, the visually-striking concrete grille was more economical than one fabricated of metal, costing $3.50 per square foot vs $5 for the metal version. Many years later, Ossipoff’s business partner said the design for this exterior covering had been inspired by the appearance of what had been called “punch cards,” which were paper cards then used by IBM computers to carry information. These were well-known for having random patterns of rectangular holes that had been stamped into them.

In 2002, Victoria Ward Ltd, still a family-owned company, sold its Kaka‘ako property for $250 million to General Growth, which was an American real estate investment firm that specialized in owning and operating shopping centers. Its justification for the Kaka‘ako purchase was to possess and run Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre, the two shopping complexes located on this land. Six years later, in 2008, General Growth announced its own master plan for this land which called for the demolition of the IBM Building and pretty much everything else on the former Ward lands beginning in 2010.

Fans of Ossipoff and his work immediately objected, but many others saw its destruction as no big loss. Three people quoted in a 2008 newspaper article expressed indifference or open disapproval: “I don’t happen to think it’s particularly attractive…it’s not the best use for that location. If it’s going to be an office, you could have a newer, better office building on that site,” said Jamie Brown of Hawai‘i Commercial Real Estate. From Gary Gordon, construction superintendent: “It’s period architecture. Unfortunately, its time has come and gone, and it doesn’t blend in.” And from Francis Oda, chairman and CEO of Group 70 International architects: “It’s an interesting building but [Ossipoff did] better than that…[and] you can’t just have a knee-jerk reaction to preserve everything.” Apparently these three thought that nothing different from the multiple reflective glass towers we see in this location today should be present to interrupt the overall uniformity.

General Growth’s plan was never carried out. The company ran into financial problems and some of its assets were required to be spun off, leading to the 2012 switch in the ownership of the former Ward property to the Howard Hughes Corporation. Fortunately, the latter decided that the IBM Building was worthy of preservation and on February 1, 2013 began a $24 million renovation and revamp of it. The remodeled ground floor would house the publicly accessible scale model of the planned redevelopment of this portion of Kaka‘ako; this has been in place since 2014 and is still there today in 2026. The model has, of course, been changed over this 12-year period since the original target of 22 residential towers has been reduced in number.

We can be grateful that short-sighted dislike of “outdated buildings” which can lead to the loss of structures that could never be replicated today, due to costs or the lack of workmanship expertise to do the work, did not claim the IBM Building more than 15 years ago. It will continue to stand as a physical artifact of what Kaka‘ako once was.

1 IBM 67 16x9

<title>Changing Kaka‘ako: The IBM Building</title>

At one time, the plan for the IBM Building included a basement bomb shelter in case of nuclear war. Later, the building faced destruction from a more ordinary source — changing ownership and redevelopment plans. Fortunately, writes ASD history columnist DeSoto Brown, it has been preserved, even as the neighborhood around it changes drastically.

Changing Kaka‘ako: The IBM Building

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 26. Whether you’re dining out or looking for an at-home feast, check out the following options:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar"}]

: The Thanksgiving dinner buffet costs $109 per adult ($54.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). Highlights include kiawe-smoked prime rib that’s carved to order, kiawe smoked brisket, ‘ahi poke, assorted sashimi, snow crab legs, salt and pepper shrimp, caramelized mushroom linguini, roasted turkey leg and turkey breast, holiday stuffing, temaki sushi, Prince bread pudding, pumpkin crunch haupia crunch pie and more.

The brunch buffet costs $111 per adult ($55.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). It includes many of the featured dinner buffet offerings — including kiawe-smoked prime rib, kiawe smoked brisket, roasted turkey leg and turkey breast — but also includes breakfast offerings like Prince fried rice, a waffle station and an omelet station.

: Dinner buffet 5 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 26-29; brunch buffet 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"53 By the Sea"}]

: 53 By the Sea’s Thanksgiving take home packages are available for pre-order online and via phone.

The standard Thanksgiving dinner set ($250) is designed to feed four people and includes:

The deluxe Thanksgiving dinner set ($750) is designed to feed eight people and includes:

: In-person pick-ups from 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"C4 Table by Colin Hazama"}]

: fishcake Honolulu, 307C Kamani St., Honolulu 

: C4 Table’s Thanksgiving holiday menu ($370) is designed to serve four to six people. It includes:

: Pick-up from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25 at fishcake Honolulu 

: Email pre-order with name (first and last), telephone contact number, number of meals/additional sides, and preferred pick-up time slot to 

: Chart House Waikīkī’s traditional turkey dinner ($65) includes butter and sage roasted turkey, savory cornbread stuffing, mashed or baked sweet potato with rum butter, pan gravy, creamed spinach and cranberry relish. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hy’s Steak House"}]

: This Thanksgiving ‘ohana feast to-go ($585) is designed to serve eight to 10 people. It includes:

: This special Thanksgiving dinner ($40) includes butter herb roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, green bean casserole, candied yams with toasted marshmallow, grilled corn on the cob and a dinner roll. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Merriman’s Honolulu"}]

: This Thanksgiving prix fixe menu costs $140 per person ($45 for children ages 12 years and younger). It includes:

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

: This Thanksgiving family feast ($725) is designed to feed six to eight people. It includes:

Pre-orders must be placed by Tuesday, Nov. 24.

: Pick-up from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Plumeria Beach House"}]

: The all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffets will include a carving station, chef specialties and a variety of desserts. They cost $145 per adult ($55 per child ages 6 to 12 years). 

: Nov. 26, brunch buffet 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; dinner buffet 3 to 8 p.m. 

: This Thanksgiving package ($285.95) is designed to feed four to six people. It includes sliced roast turkey, turkey gravy, housemade stuffing, pineapple-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, spicy ‘ahi on sushi rice, fresh cranberry sauce, and pumpkin crunch squares.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Buffet at Hyatt"}]

: Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa, 

: This Island-inspired Thanksgiving buffet costs $110 per person (50% off for children ages 6 to 12 years, $5.99 for children ages 5 years and under).

[{"type":"text","text":"Buffet highlights include:"}]

discount is not valid for holiday menus. 

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waik

: This Thanksgiving takeout feast ($595) is designed to serve eight to 10 people.

: Pick-up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 26.

Upon arrival, guests should pull into The Royal Hawaiian porte cochere (valet) and check in with the team; staff members will bring your Thanksgiving feast directly to you. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Umi by Vikram Garg"}]

: Halepuna Waikīkī by Halekūlani, 2233 Helumoa Road, Honolulu 

: This special Thanksgiving dinner features a three-course ($110 per person) or four-course ($150 per person) menu.

The three-course menu features a soup or pasta (premium upgrade optional), main course and dessert; an optional wine pairing ($50) is available. The four-course menu includes an appetizer (premium upgrade available), soup or pasta (premium upgrade available), main course and dessert; an optional wine pairing ($70) is available.

[{"type":"text","text":"Featured dishes include:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s Restaurants"}]

: Zippy’s is offering a variety of Thanksgiving packages to choose from:

[{"type":"text","text":"Whole turkey package, $214.95; serves eight to 10 people"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Half turkey package, $124.95; serves four people"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Whole turkey only, $95.95; serves eight to 10 people"}]

: Pick-up Wednesday Nov. 25 or Thursday, Nov. 26

Thanskgiving 2026 Zippys 102826

<title>Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 1</title>

Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 1

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

 is playing slack key guitar in the airport. To his left are cousins and to his right is his girlfriend, more cousins and his grandparents, Milton and Anne Lau, the founders of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals.

A flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines walks by and smiles.

In less than 26 hours, this group of 10, which includes six grandkids and two of their girlfriends, will be putting on the 29th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival - Kona Style on Hawaiʻi Island. The festival, 

organized by the Kī-hōʻalu Foundation, Inc., took place Sunday, Oct. 18. Celebrating almost 30 years of music, it is older than most of the ʻohana making it happen.

Over 44 years, Milton and Anne Lau, who live in 

 have put on more than 140 festivals across the state. That number doesn’t count slack key guitar festivals held on the Mainland and in Japan. This year, they have already orchestrated festivals on Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, with Kauaʻi just a few weeks away. Next year will mark 45 years of festivals on Oʻahu, 36 on Maui, 35 on Kauaʻi, and 29 on Hawaiʻi Island.

[{"type":"text","text":"Anne is 70. Milton won’t disclose his age on the record. "}]

At the moment, as the family waits for their plane at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, laptops and tablets are open. Coffee is in hand. Milton explains that two grandsons will be continuing a three-generation family legacy by playing this weekend: Micah at the start of the festival and Ryder in the middle of it.

For this festival, many of the artists won’t arrive in Kona until Sunday, but the Lau family is heading over a day earlier.

“Aloha, Flight 1108 will now begin boarding...” a voice drones over the loudspeaker.

Suddenly, Ryder zips his guitar into its bag. It’s about 20 minutes to take-off and the ʻohana is on the move.

As the family boards the plane, the sound of slack key guitar music fills the cabin over the speakers. The melodic chords of “Radio Hula” drift across the aircraft, and soon the plane is airborne.

The flight between Honolulu and Kona is less than an hour. As the aircraft begins its descent, the captain announces it is 84 degrees.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Winds are west today,” he adds."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"We’re in Kona."}]

The grandkids collect the luggage, while Milton and Anne head to the car rental to grab rides. Normally, they drive vans, but today they have a Nissan Armada and a Wagoneer. Milton arrives in one, and Anne, who normally drives a Prius, is in the other.

This is Anne’s second trip to Hawaiʻi Island in the past six months. She was last here in April to watch her granddaughter, Kala Lau, perform at the Merrie Monarch Festival.

It’s hot and humid. The first year of the Kona festival, the event was held outdoors, Milton explains. They quickly decided not to do that again.

“Since then, we’ve been indoors and air-conditioned,” he adds.

In the car, the air conditioning is on and pop music is playing. The vehicles pull into a parking lot about four miles from the airport and the family is making its first stop: Mrs. Barry’s Kona Cookies. The ʻohana fills the store, where a sign on the wall inside reads: “Happy Birthday Mrs. Barry 90, loved and blessed.”

Milton and Anne begin ordering cookies for the entire family. Haukea, who is the youngest Lau on the trip, is especially excited.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Yay!” she says."}]

After, Milton, Anne, Haukea, and her sister, Olena, head to Costco to get canned food for The Salvation Army, which will collect cans at the festival.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"But, cookies had to come first."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Priorities,” says Anne."}]

As the car follows the ocean toward Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, the Laus share how they met. Anne grew up on the West Coast in Washington. She moved to Oʻahu to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and never left. More specifically, she met Milton.

They met by accident — literally. The young surfer ran into her while riding his bicycle. He was single, so after making sure she was OK, he decided to invite her to a party.

“And the rest is history!” adds Anne, with a laugh.

They have been married more than 50 years. Together, they share 14 grandkids, six of whom are on this trip.

Milton and their son, Chris, have won a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award and been nominated for three Grammy Awards as producers. As a musician, Milton started his career playing top 40 music in clubs and has played bass guitar, guitar and piano. Chris plays bass.

“I play the radio,” Anne tells Aloha State Daily later.

In the back seat, Haukea practices the multiplication table of 12. The full-size SUV veers toward a road with an entrance lined in palm trees, and suddenly the sign for the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa is in sight.

As Anne pulls into the valet, she rolls down the window to say hello to Ron, who has worked here for many years.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“We’re back!” she says."}]

Slack key guitar predates the ʻukulele in Hawaiʻi. When the 

Brittish gifted cattle to King Kamehameha I

 in the early 1800s, they ran wild. Eventually, King Kamehameha III brought in 

, or Spanish-Mexican cowboys, to teach the Hawaiians how to handle the cattle. And the vaqueros brought guitars.

“Hawaiians never even saw that kind of instrument before,” Milton said. “I guess at the end of the day, they would play the guitars around the campfire and whatever. And the Hawaiians were fascinated.”

When the contract ended, the vaqueros headed back to California and left their instruments.

“But they didn't give them any lessons,” he said. “That meant they had to figure out how to play this stuff.”

The paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, did not know how to tune a guitar and simply adjusted the strings until it sounded pleasant. 

,” Milton said. “The different cowboys and their families came up with their own tunings, and they wouldn't tell the other guys what their tunings were.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Today, there are fewer secrets."}]

“Really, it's kind of a great story about how the Hawaiians had great ears and a love of music,” he said.

Milton started the slack key guitar festivals in honor of his friend, Gabby Pahinui, a legendary slack key master who used to hold kani ka pila sessions where musicians played music at his home in Waimānalo. When asked to pick just a few words to describe Pahinui, Milton selected inspirational and charismatic.

“And kolohe,” adds Anne, using the Hawaiian word for mischevious.

After Pahinui died in 1980, the City and County of Honolulu dedicated the pavilion at Waimānalo Beach Park

in his name. Milton helped organize a festival in Waimānalo to celebrate Pahinui’s contributions to music, and about 5,000 people showed up, he said. It was so popular, they brought it back the next year, moving it to the Lester McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Regional Park.

Eventually, Milton approached the Bank of Hawaiʻi, which was the event’s title sponsor for about 15 years. Soon, the festivals were being televised.

“Then, we went three years, five years, seven years, eight years, 10 years,” Milton said. “What happened was after the 10th year, I realized that if people are interested with this in Honolulu, maybe other Neighbor Islands, they would be interested. I expanded to the Neighbor Islands and I started with Maui.”

At one point, there were festivals on Molokai and in Japan, as well as across the Mainland, including in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. But eventually, it became hard to live in so many hotels, Milton said. Today, the festivals on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi remain.

Now, the events are funded with grants from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, which has sponsored the festivals for about 25 years.

The festivals are also run with a whole lot of family support.

“I gotta tell you that if I didn't marry her, probably the festival wouldn’t continue,” Milton said, as he sits next to his wife.

“In the early days, we would do a whole lūʻau for the musicians,” Anne adds.

She and Milton’s parents would be backstage preparing the food.

“It’s kept our family really close,” she said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Showtime in Kona "}]

The first musician to take the stage for the 29th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival - Kona Style is Milton and Anne’s grandson, Micah Lau. He jumps on stage about a half hour before the festival starts to play a set for the growing audience inside the Kaleiopapa Convention Center.

After playing a few songs, Micah tells the audience he is trying to learn “Radio Hula” and “Yellow Ginger Lei” from Uncle 

“I’ll play until I don’t remember the rest,” he says.

He starts the first chorus, and the crowd 

As the official program starts, entertainers of all ages take the stage and share the many sounds of slack key guitar. One of them yodels. Another adds the sound of a train.

The musical line-up for this festival features 15 musicians from across the state, including the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award honoree 

, who was born and raised on Oʻahu; Anthony Pfluke, who recently won the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for 

, who recently won the Nā Hoku Hanohano Award for 

 and was born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island.

In the middle of the festival, Milton and Anne's grandson, Ryder, takes the stage. The first time he performed at a slack key festival was three years ago on Kauaʻi, his grandfather explains. Milton gave him six months to learn the song.

“And all the musician uncles came up in the front row,” adds Anne, as she remembers that first performance at a festival. “No pressure.” 

Sometimes musicians request that one of their granddaughters dance hula, as recently happened in Waikīkī, when Kala performed under the stars. Today, she is taking pictures.

After the festival, Milton and Anne return the sound system and take the entire family out to get hamburgers to celebrate.

In just three weeks, the family will bring another festival to the state. The 

34th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival - Kauaʻi Style

 will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Outrigger Kauaʻi Beach Resort & Spa. Kamaʻāina can buy tickets at the door to see a line-up of at least a dozen artists, including multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning musicians, for $15.

Milton plans to run the festivals for at least 50 years.

“I know that one day I’m not going to be able to do it,” he said. “The good thing is the family has been involved a long time. All the musicians have been involved. And they all tell me: ʻHey don’t worry because when you're not able to do it, we're going to work with your kids or sons and whatnot to keep it going.’ ”

As he speaks, Ryder plays slack key guitar quietly in a lounge at Ellison Onizuka 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":" "}]

34th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival – Kauaʻi Style

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Sunday, Nov. 8"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"1 p.m. to 5 p.m."}]

Kamaʻāina tickets are $15 at the door. Tourists tickets are $25.

Festival family

<title>When music meets ʻohana: In tune with the Lau family</title>

Anne and Milton Lau have organized slack key guitar festivals across Hawaiʻi for more than 40 years. The festival founders share how three generations of family celebrate the tradition of kī-hōʻalu, or slack key guitar, and keep a musical tradition alive.

When music meets ʻohana: In tune with the Lau family

Ready to get in a Halloween mood? Aloha State Daily compiled a list of 31 things to do this month, in honor of the 31 days of October. 

From haunted houses to themed drinks, there are lots of opportunities to celebrate spooky season. Check the list for where to take keiki to trick-or-treat and participate in costume contests. There are also opportunities to surf and dance.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Now until Oct. 31:"}]

This scary experience is back. Brutex Laboratories quarantine facility has an outbreak. See what happens when containment fails. There are live actors and immersive sets, plus hands-on challenges. General admission is $38. Express pass is $46. Get a 10% discount through Oct. 11 with the code EARLY10. 

Dead Letter Office (Downtown Honolulu). 

’s “Dead Letter Office” Halloween pop-up will run from Oct. 8 to 31. The speakeasy is part of AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu. To enter, look for a wall of mailboxes. The themed drinks include the phantom ink ($18), moonlit martini ($18), autumn after dark ($20), and blood transfusion ($18). Individuals can get those cocktails “delivered” using the speakeasy’s signature mailbox system. The speakeasy is open Wednesdays through Sundays. 

. Doors open at 6 p.m. and close at 10:30 p.m. Late arrivals cannot be admitted. Not recommended for youth who are under 13 years of age. Tickets start at $20. 

Something Spooky for Everyone! (Kapolei). 

Catch three scary movies each Saturday of October at the Consolidated Theatres at Ka Makana Aliʻi. From “Corpse Bride,” “ParaNorman” and “Beetlejuice” on Saturday, Oct. 10, to “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” “E.T. The Extra- Terrestrial,” and “The Ring” on Saturday, Oct. 31, there are lots of movies coming to the big screen soon. 

Hitchcock Tober and Horror Fest (Oʻahu). 

 at Consolidated Theatres. The Master of Suspense is famous for films such as “Psycho,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest” and “The Birds.” October also marks 

, and Consolidated Theatres will be featuring scary movies on Wednesdays at its Kapolei, Mililani, Pearlridge and Ward locations. Featured films include “Hereditary,” “The Exorcist,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Thing,” and “Psycho.” 

Go to Church, with a Spooky Twist! (Oʻahu). 

 to paniolo-themed festivals, check out some of the events being offered by local churches. Senior Editor Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros shares some of the events coming up across Oʻahu from Waikīkī to Lāʻie. 

Visit Wet ʻnʻ Wild and participate in a 

 at noon as part of daily admission on Saturday, Oct. 10. Also included in the lineup of Wet ʻnʻ Wild events is a 

 on Saturday, Oct. 31. Events are included with daily admission or season pass. 

Check out this pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkin, attend a farmers market, shop local vendors and visit sunflower fields. Head to Aloun Country Market on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Waipahu to participate in the holiday activities. Tickets are $5. 

The Great Pumpkin Festival (ʻĀina Haina). 

Holy Nativity School will host The Great Pumpkin Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 17. There will be pumpkins, games, live entertainment and ʻono food. Admission is $10 and includes access to the pumpkin patch and one free mini pumpkin. Attendees can also enjoy a petting zoo, silent disco, live entertainment and meet-and-greets with characters from “Toy Story.” 

 which explores twilight, mirages and ghost stories, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Hawaiʻi Theatre Center. The performance  features aerial performance from Samadhi Hawaiʻi, spoken word from Kealoha, the first poet laureate of Hawaiʻi, and contemporary and Polynesian dance. Tickets start at $30, plus fees. 

Chicken Skin Ghost Stories (Near Downtown). 

Ready for chilling legends and ghost stories? Catch

 “The Ghost Guy” who writes a column for Aloha State Daily, as he shares stories of the Islands’ folklore on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art. He and his wife, Tanya, run the ghost tour company Mysteries of Hawaiʻi and co-authored the books: “Hawaiʻi’s Night Marchers: A History of the Huakaʻi Pō” and “Kahuna.” Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for youth. 

Howl-o-Ween Dog Costume Contest & Parade (ʻEwa). 

Bring your dog and head to Hoalauna Community Park. The event, which includes Emcee Steezy, a live DJ, games, prizes and more, runs from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 23 in ʻEwa. Don’t have a pet? Everyone is welcome to join the fun. Free. 

Da Dream Lab is partnering with Kailua Dance Academy and Kailua Music School, plus other local businesses to host Hauntopia, which runs Oct. 23, 24, and 25, plus Oct. 28 – Oct. 31. The event is back for its third year. Its defined for keiki and families with a goal of 

 according to the listing on Eventbrite. Designed for keiki who are between three years old and 12 years old. Tours are 60-90 minutes. Costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $20 or free for keiki who are two years old or younger. 

Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

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