The Honolulu Festival with its parade, cultural events and fireworks show, returns to Waikīkī and nearby neighborhoods from Friday, March 13, through Sunday, March 15. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the festival with activities at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage, Waikīkī Beach Walk and International Market Place.
The event is presented by the nonprofit Honolulu Festival Foundation and a number of sponsors, including Outrigger Resorts & Hotels.
“The Honolulu Festival is celebrating 30 years of cultural celebrations here in Hawaiʻi,” Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Outrigger Hospitality Group told Aloha State Daily. “It's one of my favorite festivals of the year for a lot of reasons. And every year they bring some new things to the event and bring more participants and obviously more opportunities for not only our visitors, but our local community to enjoy this festival.”
The festival opens Friday, March 13, with invitation-only programs and events. Ticketed admission to festival events at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center’s Exhibition Hall on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, includes access to live stage performances, a craft fair, the Sake & Food Fest, and Bon Dances, among other events. Performers come from various regions of the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Australia and the U.S. Mainland. Free events include a Japanese Film Festival, performances at Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage and Waikīkī Beach Walk, the Nagaoka Fireworks show and the Grand Parade.
“It's typically anchored with the Grand Parade, which is on Sunday,” Dee said. “The Grand Parade has been a highlight for many years, so the Grand Parade is back again.”
The parade is expected to have 1,500 marchers, 10 floats, 20 vehicles and three bands, according to permits filed with the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services. Lanes will be closed started at 2 p.m. and the parade starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. It starts at Kalakaua Ave. and Saratoga Rd. and runs down Kalakaua Ave. to Monsarrat Ave., where it ends at the parking lot for the Tom Moffatt Waikīkī Shell.
The festival closes with the Nagaoka Fireworks show, a free community event, which runs for about 20-minutes and starts at 8:30 p.m. at Waikīkī Beach, he said.
“It’s probably one of the biggest and best fireworks shows in all of Waikīkī — and frankly in the entire state of Hawaiʻi — hosted by the festival every year,” Dee said.
The event activates Waikīkī and brings in Japanese visitors, which are still down compared to pre-Covid 19 levels, he said.
“All of these events and activities again target not only the Japanese market, but also the local community,” Dee said. “They're good for Waikīkī. They're good for the visitor industry overall.”
Some of the events that are new this year include an ahi-cutting demonstration and a sushi-making workshop, he said.
“People always ask, ʻWhy do you sponsor these events?’” Dee said. “And my perspective is we believe that Waikīkī and Hawaiʻi — we are a world-class destination. But to be a world class destination, you have to have world-class events. You have to have world-class entertainment to offer not only visitors but the local community. We're proud to be a part of bringing Cirque du Soleil ʻAuana to Hawaiʻi. Blue Note Hawaiʻi is part of the offering we have at Outrigger Waikīkī. We have live music every night in all of our properties, not just here in Waikīkī, but throughout the state.
"And we're a proud sponsor of many festivals and events, from the Honolulu Festival to the Honolulu Marathon, which anchors the December calendar for us," he added. "So again, for us, we like to support these events. We like to see these events attract visitors. And again, world-class events demonstrate Waikīkī’s ability to compete on a global level with the best world-class entertainment destinations in the world. We have to support these events and help them grow, and it's great to see this event celebrating its 30th anniversary.”
Tickets for Honolulu Festival events at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center are $8 for general admission and $6 for kūpuna. Admission can be purchased on-site, but prices increase by $2 per ticket. Admission is free for guests who are 18 years old or younger. Get tickets.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
