Katie Helland
I’m excited to help bring a brand new source of news to the state. In my coverage, I look forward to sharing stories that will help you plan fun things to do for date nights and spend family time in Hawaii. I also hope to share stories about the people behind events and organizations, as well as their interests in music, hula, film, comedy and more.
I started working at the city newspaper when I was still in high school through summer internships. Since then, I have worked for the community newspaper in my college town, as well as The Santiago Times when I lived abroad in Chile. Most recently, I worked for Pacific Business News in Honolulu.
At ASD, I can’t wait to talk story, which is how reporters hear some of the best news tips! Hawaii has such an incredibly rich culture. And for me, it is home.
SPJ Hawai‘i 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards: First Place, Best Overall News Site, for “Aloha State Daily,” by the ASD Newsroom, in the Internet Division; and First Place, Headlines, by Katie Helland, Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros, and Stephanie Salmons for "Listen to the Mike Love song people quit their jobs over."
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
Latest from Katie Helland

31 things to do for Halloween on Oʻahu
Ready to get in the mood for Spooky Season? Here are 31 events happening between now and Halloween, which is Saturday, Oct. 31.
Katie HellandOctober 09, 2026

Adopt a book at this downtown Honolulu festival
The Books, Brews and Beats Festival started earlier this year as a passion project for Maia Mayeshiro — a Honolulu-based DJ, singer, and ʻukulele virtuoso — who wanted to bring the community together to celebrate "local business, reading and live instrumentation," she said. This Saturday, Oct. 10, attendees can visit Fort Street Mall to trade their book for another thoughtfully chosen read, while sipping single-origin coffee or ceremonial grade matcha and listening to ambient musical sounds.
Katie HellandOctober 08, 2026
Spooky season, jazz and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend
Aloha State Daily rounded up 10 ways you can spend the weekend. From a pumpkin patch visit at Waimānalo Country Farms to a craft beer event inside a hanger at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. ʻIolani Palace will also host its Kamaʻāina Sunday this weekend, which includes a kōnane tournament.
Katie HellandOctober 07, 2026

Kit Ebersbach shares how free jazz album came to life
This Renaissance man with almost 60 years of experience playing music in Hawaiʻi just released "Ala Pōʻai," a new album from Lō'ihi Records. Learn more about the places that inspired his music and the listening party taking place this week near UH Mānoa.
Katie HellandOctober 06, 2026

Brittni Paiva and ʻGod Mode’
This Hilo-born ‘ukulele virtuoso, who released her first album when she was just 15 years old, is back with new music. The recording artist recently shared her first album in more than a decade. This weekend, she will play music from “Through the Chaos,” at Henry’s at The Lounge in Hawaiʻi Kai.
Katie HellandOctober 02, 2026

Lego bricks inspire sky-high imagination on display at Bishop Museum
The sky might be the limit for this Lego enthusiast, who is a Hawaiian Airlines engineer and after work creates custom-built aircraft currently on display as part of the museum’s special exhibit “Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi.”
Katie HellandOctober 01, 2026

Walk, feast, and party: What to do on Oʻahu this weekend
From the Hawaiʻi Walk & Roll to Cure ALS to First Friday celebrations and Hawaiʻi Children & Youth Day, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend.
Katie HellandSeptember 30, 2026

Lumpia on menu at Consolidated Theatres
“Forgotten Island," an animated film by DreamWorks about best friends, is bringing Filipino food to local movie goers at concessions across Consolidated Theatres on Oʻahu through this weekend.
Katie HellandSeptember 29, 2026

Filmmakers reflect on bringing Hawaiʻi to New York
The recent Pacific Island Film Festival, held in New York City, included stories filmed in Hawaiʻi, which reached audiences almost 5,000 miles from where the cameras rolled.
Katie HellandSeptember 26, 2026

Mele for Maui gets encore broadcast on Hawaiʻi News Now
Did you miss the free concert featuring Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra’s first performance on Maui in a decade last weekend? This Sunday, you can catch the encore broadcast of the event, which features guest artists, such as Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali‘i and John Cruz, on Hawaiʻi News Now.
Katie HellandSeptember 25, 2026

Kanaka Maoli author talks story at Native Books
Tori Eldridge is a Broadway dancer turned fifth-degree black belt who decided to become a novelist when she turned 50 years old. This week, she explores her latest books, which are set in Hawaiʻi, and hosts a 90-minute writing workshop as part of a stop at Native Books in Chinatown on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Katie HellandSeptember 25, 2026

Catch Aloha Festivals’ floral parade, films and snails: what to do on Oʻahu
Ready to plan the weekend? From a floral parade featuring the traditional art of pāʻū riding in Waikīkī to a showcase of Korean independent films at the Honolulu Museum of Art, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27.
Katie HellandSeptember 23, 2026

ʻFrom Samoa to Sinatra’ gives one-night-only performance in Honolulu
Matt Catingub, who previously conducted a pops series for the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, will be back on Oʻahu this Saturday, Sept. 26, to celebrate 50 years in the industry and pay homage to his late mother and vocalist, Mavis Rivers. He will take the stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, where he once recorded a live album with Rosemary Clooney.
Katie HellandSeptember 22, 2026

Aloha Festivals celebrates 80 years
The festival underway consists of three events this weekend, including Hoʻolaulea, with four stages and more than 100 vendors in Waikīkī. Also coming up on Sept. 26 is the Aloha Festivals’ 78th Annual Floral Parade, where Sam Shenkus, co-chair of the Aloha Festivals board of directors, has watched some families grow up over time.
Katie HellandSeptember 19, 2026

Puppet designer puts spotlight on conservation
Artist Greg Corbino brings to life a manta ray and a larger-than-life native land snail, along with other creatures who call Hawaiʻi home as part of the world premiere of “Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals” this weekend. The production combines music, dance and puppets to tell the stories of the world’s disappearing animals.
Katie HellandSeptember 18, 2026

Buckle up, cellos! HSO heads to Maui
Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, which was recently designated the official state orchestra, will make its first appearance on Maui in 10 years with a free concert, Mele for Maui, on Saturday, Sept. 19. The outdoor performance under the stars of Kā‘anapali celebrates the resilience and courage of Lahaina, Kihei and Kula, and features guest artists such as Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali‘i and John Cruz.
Katie HellandSeptember 17, 2026

Hoʻolauleʻa, Mid-Autumn Festival, and more: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu
Listen to live music at Hoʻolauʻleʻa in Waikīkī, watch a sea turtle crafted from recycled cardboard float across the stage at Hawaiʻi Theatre, or create a lantern at the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown. Ready to make plans for the weekend? Aloha State Daily has you covered!
Katie HellandSeptember 16, 2026

Legislation may be key to future of Satoru Abe sculpture at Aloha Stadium
The fate of a sculpture by Satoru Abe, a Guggenheim Fellow and well-known sculptor, painter and printmaker who died in 2025, was a subject of debate last week at the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ general board meeting. Commissioners discussed options to move or decommission the artwork.
Katie HellandSeptember 15, 2026
Chinatown 808's Mid-Autumn Festival returns
Also known as the Moon Festival, Chinatown 808’s Annual Mid-Autumn Festival includes a parade, lantern-making contest, and more than 30 food or craft vendors, plus activities for keiki and live entertainment. The festival is an opportunity to celebrate the moon and exchange wishes for good fortune.
Katie HellandSeptember 12, 2026

‘The Paper’ launches second season
Co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman and star Domhnall Gleeson spoke with Aloha State Daily about “The Paper,” a spinoff of the wildly popular sitcom “The Office.” The Peacock series, which has a Hawai'i-born executive producer, launched Season 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The mockumentary captures the struggles of a Midwestern paper and the people who break news.
Katie HellandSeptember 11, 2026

Megabon, music, and more: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu
Lots to choose from among O‘ahu events this weekend, from Megabon to the chance to eat Okinawan food, including andagi, at local restaurants. Here are some of the events happening this Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13.
Katie HellandSeptember 08, 2026