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[{"type":"text","text":"This guy blocked my view the entire night..."}]

26 3 10

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 10, 2026</title>

This guy blocked my view the entire night...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

 This guy blocked my view the entire night...

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Government & Politics

Columnists

When you go into a 7-Eleven and you want to buy some smokes what do you have to do?

[{"type":"text","text":"Show an ID for proof of age."}]

When you apply for a loan at a financial institution what do you have to do?

[{"type":"text","text":"Show an ID for proof that it's you."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"When you make a purchase with a check what do you have to do?"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Show your acceptable ID."}]

These are just a few of the scenarios where a legal form of identification is required to perform certain transactions or comply with  directives.

[{"type":"text","text":"In virtually all cases that's the law."}]

In order to purchase alcohol, the legal age limit is 21. IDs are required to prove the buyer is 21 or over in order for the vendor to legally sell the booze. This goes especially for cocktails is bars and restaurants.

If you don't have ID as proof that you're of legal age then you don't drink.

[{"type":"text","text":"I don't think I'm hearing any protests."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"If you don't have proof of US citizenship then you don't vote."}]

So why do some of you literally lose your stuff when the same common sense logic is applied to voting?

[{"type":"text","text":"Oh, that's not you?"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Well, how about your congressional delegation?"}]

Representative Jill Tokuda and Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono adamantly voted last month 

 the SAVE Act representing our state and any semblance of commonsense and logic.

[{"type":"text","text":"I hope you noticed that I did not mention Representative Ed Case."}]

Because he represented our state with commonsense 

 logic reaffirming the legal definition that one must be a citizen of the United States in order to legally vote. He was one of only four democrats in the House that defied party politics and used his office to declare you must show proof of citizenship to vote.

[{"type":"text","text":"Thank you, Rep. Case, for your statesmanship and not partisanship."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"What is the SAVE Act?"}]

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, or "SAVE America Act," is a U.S. House-passed bill (H.R. 8281/H.R. 7296) that mandates proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It amends the 1993 

 to require documentary evidence, such as a passport or birth certificate, and compels states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls.

[{"type":"text","text":"A clarification of perspective."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The law is quite clear:"}]

unlawful for a noncitizen to vote in federal elections

So if common sense, logic and federal law stipulates a non-citizen voting in federal elections is illegal then why the crying from detractors?

[{"type":"text","text":"The objections, in summary:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Wait a second..."}]

The SAVE Act makes it "harder," voters "burdened," "difficulties accessing"?

[{"type":"text","text":"Where is our great reputation of resolve in our people?"}]

The vote of an American citizen should be exactly that — a vote of an American citizen.

If you can produce ID to buy booze, write a check or get a loan you can definitely get documents to give you a powerful voice in our elections process.

Just get a bloody birth certificate. It takes an online application, a phone call or go to the state agency in the state where you were born and just get it. Put it on your to-do list and get it done. 

If you're in America and you're not a citizen, then you are a visitor. If you are here illegally, you are a criminal.

The power of the vote is the most influential right we have in our representative democracy. Why do you suppose there is such passionate debate to ensure its sanctity, its accuracy? Because it's what stands in the way of America devolving into nations and governments from where others are fleeing.

[{"type":"text","text":"You still don't like the SAVE Act?"}]

Then blame those that allowed millions and millions of illegals to pour through our borders.

[{"type":"text","text":"You know who they are."}]

That's what is compelling this administration to not only secure the borders but ensure the legal right — no, the legal duty — of true Americans to vote.

[{"type":"text","text":"Still not convinced?"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Then just sit on your hands a let the adults get the job done."}]

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

I Stock 2173907423

<title>Hamada: The SAVE America Act is important, and sensible</title>

ASD columnist Rick Hamada finds Rep. Ed Case to be the only voice of reason among Hawai‘i's congressional delegation in voting in favor of the SAVE America act requiring that voters show ID to prove their eligibility to vote.

Hamada: The SAVE America Act is important, and sensible

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Prior to Western contact, the Wahiawā area supported a significant Hawaiian population. Evidence of this can be seen in the numerous loʻi kalo, taro terraces, located northwest of present-day Wahiawā town. These agricultural terraces were extensive, drawing water from Wahiawā Stream both upstream and downstream of where the town now stands.

One feature that made Wahiawā unique was its geography. Despite being located far from the sea, the region is notable as the only large, naturally level plain on the island of Oʻahu, making it particularly well-suited for large-scale agriculture and settlement.

In the early 19th century, the forests of central Oʻahu were rich with ʻiliahi, Hawaiian sandalwood trees whose fragrant heartwood was prized throughout Asia. Traders began seeking the wood in large quantities, and the ali‘i quickly recognized its value. Historical accounts describe the largest and most desirable sandalwood trees growing in the upland forests around Wahiawā.

During the height of the Hawaiian sandalwood trade between about 1810 and 1830, thousands of trees were cut from these upland forests. Maka‘āinana, the commoners, were often required by the ali‘i to gather the wood from the mountains and haul the heavy logs down to the coast. From there, the wood was shipped across the Pacific in exchange for goods. The trade brought wealth to some but also hardship to most. Many Hawaiians were forced to leave their farms and fishing grounds to harvest sandalwood, causing famine conditions, and the once-abundant forests were rapidly depleted.

By the mid-1800s, the sandalwood groves that had once dominated the uplands around Wahiawā had largely disappeared. The plateau remained fertile, however, and its wide open lands would eventually attract a new wave of settlers.

In the 1890s, settlers from California created the Wahiawā Colony Tract. The agricultural community eventually covered roughly 1,300 acres, with parcels laid out for farms, homes, and civic buildings. Roads were carved across the plateau, and a small town slowly began to take shape between the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau mountain ranges. With families arriving and children in tow, one of the earliest needs was a school.

In September 1899, the first Wahiawā Elementary School opened on Lehua Street. The school’s inaugural class consisted of only 10 students, the children of Wahiawā’s early settlers. Over the following decades, as Wahiawā grew alongside nearby pineapple plantations and military installations, the school expanded with additional classrooms.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the quiet campus would take on a very different role. The Lehua Street school site was converted into an emergency hospital, with classrooms transformed into wards and treatment areas, providing care for both civilians and military personnel in central O‘ahu.

In 1944, community leaders formed the Wahiawā Hospital Association, determined to establish a permanent medical facility for the growing region. The wartime hospital eventually evolved into Wahiawā General Hospital, which opened as a modern acute-care hospital in the late 1950s. Over the decades that followed, the hospital expanded and continued to serve the communities of central Oʻahu. In April 2024, the hospital entered its newest chapter when it became The Queen’s Medical Center – Wahiawā.

But land with such a long history often holds more than just records and dates. From ancient Hawaiian forests to decades of medical care, the land beneath this building has witnessed the growth of a quiet but determined community. And in places where so many human stories unfold, some believe that not every chapter of the past is entirely finished.

Several years ago, just after we finished a bus tour to the North Shore, several of us headed to Zippy’s to unwind. Gerald, who had attended the tour and made it to Zippy’s before us, waved me over to his booth. There, he proceeded to share his own ghost story.

A few weeks earlier, Gerald had an appointment at Wahiawā General Hospital. He was scheduled for the first appointment of the day at 8 a.m. He worried the lobby would be crowded, so he made a point of showing up early. When he arrived, it was just after 7 a.m. What surprised him was that the office already looked busy. The reception staff appeared to be hard at work behind the desk, answering phones and handling what looked like the usual morning rush. Gerald sat down, grabbed a magazine off the corner table, and waited for his name to be called.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Mr. Harbottle?”"}]

Gerald remembered hearing a voice call his name clearly, but he didn’t actually see anyone standing by the doorway to the examination rooms.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Yes?” he answered, slowly rising from his chair."}]

He turned to his left to place the magazine on the table, and when he turned back, a slender woman wearing light blue scrubs was standing at the door. She motioned for him to follow and led him down the hall toward exam room number seven.

As they walked, Gerald glanced back toward the front desk. The receptionists were still sitting at their stations, apparently talking on the phones or to each other, but something felt wrong. There was no sound at all. The entire office was completely silent.

Before he had time to think about it, the nurse ushered him into the exam room and slid the door shut behind him. The moment the door closed, the sound returned. Gerald could suddenly hear conversations outside the room, phones ringing, and people laughing. At one point, he could have sworn he even heard someone mention his name.

[{"type":"text","text":"Curious, he slid the door open just a crack to take a peek."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Mister Harbottle?”"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The voice came from directly behind him."}]

Gerald jumped and yelped at the same time. Standing there was the same Japanese woman who had brought him down the hallway, but… she just left.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It turns out you don’t have an appointment,” she said calmly."}]

Gerald tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. Before he could react, the woman passed straight through him, as if she were made of mist. When Gerald followed her out, the entire office was empty. No staff, no nurses.

“Mister Harbottle,” the woman said sharply, emphasizing every syllable. “According to our records, you never made an appointment. You can’t simply show up unannounced and expect to be seen.”

At that exact moment, a woman walked through the front door. She was wearing purple scrubs, her hair pulled into a bun. One arm carried a stack of files while the other balanced a coffee and a doughnut. When Gerald looked to where the first nurse was standing, she was gone.

[{"type":"text","text":"“You didn’t get here really early, did you?” the new arrival asked."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Uh… yes,” Gerald admitted, now too shaken to say much more."}]

She sighed, “It gets a little eerie around here if you show up too early. Everyone knows the place is somewhat haunted; that’s why we all make sure to arrive exactly on the hour.”

She stepped behind the desk and checked the schedule, confirming Gerald’s appointment.

Then she leaned closer and whispered, “You didn’t see anything, did you?”

[{"type":"text","text":"“No,” Gerald said calmly, “Nothing at all.”"}]

“Good,” she chirped, “Have a seat. I’ll call you as soon as the doctor arrives.”

Gerald said he still isn’t entirely sure what happened that morning. But he learned one thing for certain. At Wahiawā General Hospital, arriving early might not just mean a long wait. It might mean showing up for the wrong appointment.

Wahiawa Hospital

<title>Early morning ghosts at Wahiawā General</title>

Wahiawā in central O‘ahu has long been at the center of things. It once boasted extensive taro lo‘i. It was important to the sandalwood trade. As a modern community grew up around its agriculture, so did a town with a school that became a hospital. That's where this week's ghost story takes, in the wee hours, in the waiting room.

Early morning ghosts at Wahiawā General

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

emergency proclamation in advance of a severe storm

 which is forecast to hit the state this week. Aloha State Daily rounded up some ideas for how to spend a day indoors, while also highlighting a few events that will get you out of the house.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, March 13"}]

Diamond Head Theatre brings the classic musical “West Side Story” to the stage starting Friday, March 13. The show runs through Sunday, April 5. The iconic score features songs such as “Maria,” “America, “Tonight,” and “I Feel Pretty,” with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. 

 that carried loads of coffee beans down steep mountains on Big Island, is opening its newest location in Kaimukī

. The company has a number of locations on the Mainland and one in West Maui. 

Custom hats from The Uihā Hat Bar by Hula Tease, which is based in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island, will return to Ka Makana Aliʻi for a pop-up from Friday, March 13, through Sunday, March 15. Read about 

 This musical venue is celebrating its 18th anniversary with a four-hour show that features 

several Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning stars

, Kawika Kahiapo, Bobby Moderow Jr., and the husband-and-wife duo Kala‘e and Kalena Parish

e is a poolside performance space which features live Hawaiian music at 

Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort.Guests attending the anniversary event can also enter in a raffle for a two-night stay at Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, as well as a $100 dining credit. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, March 14"}]

This event brings 11 hālau hula, as well as local businesses and food vendors to The Great Lawn at the Bishop Museum. Tickets are $60. Admission is free for keiki who are under 12 years old. 

 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 

 of the festival with activities at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage, Waikīkī Beach Walk, and International Market Place. The festival opens Friday, March 13, with invitation-only programs and events. Ticketed admission is available for festival events in the Hawaiʻi Convention Center’s Exhibition Hall on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15. 

Free community events include a Japanese Film Festival

, performances at Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage and Waikīkī Beach Walk, the 

. The cost of tickets for the Hawaiʻi Convention Center’s Exhibition Hall is $8 for general admission and $6 for kūpuna, if purchased in advance. Admission is free for guests who are 18 years old or younger. 

Imagine humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, kalo, Hōkūleʻa and rainbows. Now, picture them formed entirely with Legos. These are some of the items on display in “Aloha Bricks ʻ26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” a new exhibit which launches Saturday, March 14, in the Castle Memorial Building at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawai‘i Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Also on display are Lego creations built by school children from 50 schools across Hawaiʻi. Admission to the special exhibit is included with general admission, which starts at $25.95 for youth and $33.95 for adults. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, March 15"}]

The Honolulu Museum of Art offers free admission for kamaʻāina on the third Sunday of each month. Explore the galleries and outdoor spaces, plus get creative and become the artist with special hands-on activities. The museum opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Free. 

Ready to turn neighborhood blooms into art? Check out this Ikebana-inspired flower workshop hosted by Marlowe Furnishings where you can get hands-on experience in how to create living art. Materials are included. The event starts at 2 p.m. Tickets are $87. 

Is it raining? Send us your pictures of moody clouds, rainbows and more. Submitted photos may be featured in our reader submission series called Hawaiʻi Skies. Include information like your name and where the picture was taken. Tell what you saw and why it was special. 

Looking for some fun during the week? Don’t forget to check out Aloha State Daily Reporter Kelli Shiroma Braiotta’s guide for 

Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2026

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Honolulu Museum of Art

<title>What to do on Oʻahu this weekend: Friday, March 13, through Sunday, March 15</title>

Ready to plan a weekend when the keiki begin spring break and rain is in the forecast? Check out free events like the Japanese Film Festival at the Honolulu Festival or head to the Honolulu Museum of Art, which offers free entry for kamaʻāina on the third Sunday of each month.

What to do on Oʻahu this weekend: Friday, March 13, through Sunday, March 15

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Episode 43 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended at 6:21 p.m. on March 10, according to 

has led to the temporary closure of the volcano's summit in HVNP and parts of Highway 11 today.

Episode 43 of the ongoing eruption began at 9:17 a.m. Tuesday with more than a quarter-inch of accumulated tephra and ash, according to the 

 from U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, published just after noon.

According to HVO, the lava fountains have hit heights of more than 1,300 feet. In an update this afternoon, HVNP said tephra was still falling at 2 p.m.

"Park rangers are evacuating visitors from the summit area of the park," HVNP says. "Overnight guests of Kilauea Military Camp and Volcano House with reservations and identification will be allowed to enter the park but must shelter in place. All trails and outdoor overlooks in the vicinity of the summit are closed."

HVNP will reopen after the eruption ends and the park staff can clear roadways, the update noted, adding that tephra fallout covers road markings and can cause vehicles to skid and slide.  

In a message around 3 p.m. Hawai‘i County Civil Defense said that tephra continues to fall in HVNP and the Volcano community, although it has "diminished from earlier levels." According to Civil Defense, Pele's Hair and fine ash are being reported in Hāmākua, Hilo and Puna.

Highway 11 is closed on either side of the park at mile markers 24 and 40.

Kīlauea has been erupting intermittently since Dec. 23, 2024, largely from two vents in Halema‘uma‘u crater within the summit caldera.

An ashfall warning remains in effect for HVNP and areas southeast and southwest of the park until 5 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Honolulu said in 

Hawai‘i County has opened a shelter at the 

Kaʻū District Gym, located at 96-1219 Kamani St. in Pāhala, for residents and visitors impacted by the road closure or falling tephra.

, which ended Jan. 24 after a little more than 8 hours of continuous lava fountaining, also blanketed HVNP and some surrounding Hawai

‘i Island communities with tephra and ash. (ICYMI: An estimated 14 million cubic yards of lava erupted during that episode. Here's 

 of the ongoing eruption ended on Feb. 15. 

" in a closed area on the east side of Kīlauea caldera,

 but the volcano was not erupting at that time. However, the National Park Service said in an announcement then that, the caldera

 contains "hazardous terrain, including unstable cliff edges and volcanic features. Visitors are reminded to remain in designated open areas and comply with all closures."

Last June, a 30-year-old Boston man trying to get a closer glimpse of the eruption was rescued by first responders after 

 from a steep cliff within the park. At that time, 

 that a tree broke the man's fall and kept him from plummeting another 100 feet or so to the caldera floor.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

May be an image of crater

<title>Kīlauea erupts again, bringing more tephra, ash fall to Hawai‘i Island</title>

Tephra and ash fall from the latest eruptive episode of Kīlauea volcano, which began and ended on Tuesday, March 10, has led to the temporary closure of its summit in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and parts of Highway 11.

Kīlauea erupts again, bringing more tephra, ash fall to Hawai‘i Island

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

, two of our state representatives gave the people of Hawai‘i a masterclass in how not to legislate.

 would expand legal protections for what the State of Hawai‘i defines as “gender-affirming health care.” Representative Elijah Pierick warned that the bill would let a 14-year-old get sex-change surgery without parental knowledge, then fly home to Tennessee. He described the procedures in language better suited to a middle school cafeteria than the House floor. House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan fired back. He called Pierick “the representative from Bethlehem” — a shot at his colleague’s Christian faith. He then offered a substantive rebuttal: the bill says nothing about minors.

Oscar Wilde once said a gentleman never insults anyone unintentionally. So take Quinlan at his word. He meant it. Now let’s talk about what it means.

Quinlan had the stronger hand and still chose to mock. His factual correction was legitimate. He could have stopped there and won the exchange cleanly. Instead he opened with a religious insult. When you’ve already won the point, the only reason to add the jab is to perform for your side.

And consider the hypocrisy. Would Quinlan refer to a Jewish colleague as “the representative from Jerusalem?” Would he call a Muslim lawmaker “the senator from Mecca?” He wouldn’t dare — and rightly so. It would be condemned as bigotry. So why does mocking Christianity get a free pass? Either religious mockery is acceptable in our legislature or it isn’t.

Quinlan might also consider who he represents. His District 47 covers Waialua, Hale‘iwa, Sunset Beach, Kahuku, Lā‘ie, Hau‘ula, and Punalu‘u. These are not progressive enclaves. These communities are deeply rooted in faith. When the House Majority Leader ridicules a colleague’s Christianity on the floor, he should think about how that lands back home. Representing a district doesn’t mean agreeing with every constituent. But it probably means not publicly mocking their deepest convictions.

But Quinlan wasn’t the only one who failed that day. Pierick’s description of surgery — crude, graphic, designed to shock — wasn’t an argument. It was a performance. Instead of engaging the actual text of the legislation, he handed his opponents a clip they can use to paint every critic of the bill as unserious. You don’t win policy debates by grossing people out.

And the bill deserved better discourse than either man gave it. HB 1875 expands protections originally created for reproductive health care (like birth control and abortion) to cover gender-affirming care. It shields providers and patients from out-of-state legal action, restricts disclosure of patient records, and prohibits insurers from penalizing providers. The definition of gender-affirming care covers everything from puberty blockers to surgery.

Quinlan said there’s nothing in this bill about minors. That’s technically true yet still misleading. Hawai‘i 

 permits gender-affirming care for minors — puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery with parental consent. The new bill shields all of it from out-of-state legal action, subpoenas, and records disclosure. A parent in a custody dispute could bring a child to Hawai‘i for surgery over the other parent’s objection, and this bill would block the objecting parent’s home state from doing much about it. Pierick saw that. His description of the procedures was crude and his specifics were wrong — no 14-year-old is getting surgery without a parent’s involvement. But the core concern about parental rights and interstate conflict was real, and Quinlan waved it away with a joke about Bethlehem.

We’ve watched national politics descend into a name-calling contest. Hawai‘i doesn’t have to follow that playbook. But we will if we shrug off exchanges like this one as just how politics works now. Every person in that chamber carries a dignity that wasn’t given by voters and can’t be taken by mockery. Every word spoken on that floor goes into the public record. Constituents read it. Someday a student doing a civics project will find it. Words spoken from positions of power reveal character. And character, once revealed, is hard to unsee.

There’s a word for someone who belittles people instead of debating them. The word is bully. We expect this from teenagers jockeying for status in a high school cafeteria, not from the House Majority Leader. At some point, Mr. Majority Leader, it’s time to grow up.

Since Quinlan brought up Bethlehem, maybe he should listen to its most famous resident. The man from Bethlehem once said that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, and an evil man brings evil out of the evil stored in his.

The insult isn’t really the problem. It’s a symptom. Mockery, contempt, the instinct to belittle — these come from the heart. And the speech won’t change until the heart does.

The man from Bethlehem knew something about that kind of change too. And His door is still open — even for politicians.

Quinlan and Pierick

<title>"The Rep from Bethlehem"</title>

ASD columnist Sterling Higa explores how a recent exchange on the floor of the House of Representatives between House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan and Rep. Elijah Pierick went so wrong.

"The Rep from Bethlehem"

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 

 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 

The festival closes with the Nagaoka Fireworks show, 

, 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.”

Live stage performances, the Sake & Food Fest, Bon Dances, and a craft fair are just some of the events on the agenda for the upcoming Honolulu Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. There will also be a number of free events, including the Japanese Film Festival, the Nagaoka Fireworks show, and the Grand Parade.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Authors

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