July- December 2021

Please note that events are subject to change without notice. For the most complete and updated information, please visit individual event websites.

JULY 2021

•    April 1–July 31, 2021
The Stride for Kauaʻi 100-Mile Challenge (Virtual) – Join in on this virtual challenge taking you around the beautiful Garden Island of Kauaʻi. Run, walk or skip more than 100 miles from the sands of Polihale Beach on the island’s west side to enchanting north shore Kēʻē Beach. You can complete the entire challenge on the route and time of your choosing anytime from April 1 through July 31. As your workouts progress, upload your daily mileage and track your journey on an interactive Kauaʻi map. You’ll feel Kauaʻi’s aloha every step of the way as you make your way toward the virtual hundred-mile finish line. Participants completing the challenge will receive a race bag, cotton tee and a surfboard-themed medal. To register, visit TheKauaiMarathon.com.

•    July 3, 2021
Lana‘i Pineapple Festival (Lānaʻi) – Since James Dole’s purchased the island of Lānaʻi in 1922 to grow pineapple, the sweet and juicy fruit has evolved into an iconic symbol of the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks to Dole’s green thumb and ingenuity (canned pineapple, anyone?), the tiny island became an agricultural giant with its plantation acreage once accounting for 75 percent of the world’s pineapple production. While the majority of Lānaʻi’s pineapple production shut down in the late 1980s — only about 100 acres remain today to supply enough fruit for local consumption — the island still celebrates its rich history as Hawaiʻi’s Pineapple Island each summer with the Lānaʻi Pineapple Festival. Be sure to come hungry to enjoy pineapple eating contests, pineapple-cooking competitions tempting your taste buds, and food booths showcasing tasty island eats. For more information, visit LanaiPineappleFestival.com. 

•    July 5-9 and July 19-23, 2021
Virtual Ocean Camp (Māui) – The Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) welcomes first-through fifth-graders to experience its popular Virtual Ocean Camp marine conservation educational program from the comfort of home. Each weeklong virtual camp session explores a unique ocean-related theme thoughtfully crafted to include daily science lessons, team-building games and activities, expressive crafts, and nature-based inquiry. Participating kids will engage in approximately two hours of live online interaction and educational activities daily through a password-protected visual communication platform. Presented by PWF education specialists, the camp offers kids opportunities to learn the value of protecting the ocean and its inhabitants. Campers will be provided optional daily science and craft activities that can be completed offline and often outdoors, independently or in concert with others. For more information, visit PacificWhale.org.

•    July 16-August 8, 2021
Volcano Wood Show Exhibition (island of Hawaiʻi) – The Volcano Art Center announces its inaugural semi-annual Volcano Wood Show and Exhibition featuring multiple wood artists showcasing their one-of-a-kind works made with indigenous Hawaiʻi woods. The exhibition, held at the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani campus in the Hale Ho‘omana Dietrich Varez Hall and Education Center, will feature furniture, sculptures and wood art created by local island artisans. It will also include demonstrations and a woodworker pop-up featuring tools and miscellaneous items for sale. All funds generated will be dedicated to the development of the Volcano Art Center’s “Art Van Go,” a mobile classroom and woodshop. For more information, visit VolcanoArtCenter.org.

•    July 18, 2021
51st ‘Ukulele Festival Hawaiʻi (Virtual) – The world’s first and original ‘ʻukulele festival returns this summer in a virtual format to again celebrate music and storytelling through the ʻukulele — one of Hawaiʻi’s most-recognized musical icons of aloha. Broadcast on YouTube Live, the 51st annual ‘Ukulele Festival Hawaiʻi is set for July 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Hawaiʻi Standard Time). Its star-studded list of ʻukulele masters and musicians includes Jake Shimabukuro, Herb Ohta Jr., Britni Paiva, Bryan Tolentino, Kama Hopkins, Hale Seabury and Aldrine Guerrero, plus a special performance by the legendary Herb “Ohta-San” Ohta, as well as keiki (children) and international ‘ʻukulele groups. For more information, visit UkuleleFestivalHawaii.org.

•    July 23–August 1, 2021
36th Kōloa Plantation Days Festival (Kauaʻi) – Celebrate old town Kōloa’s plantation heritage and modern-day vitality through the full 10 days of this family-oriented festival. This year’s 36th annual event is set for July 23 through August 1. Founded in 1835, Kōloa’s now long-closed namesake sugar plantation was Hawaiʻi's first, home to laborers from Asia and Europe who lived in area plantation camps, often sharing the food, music, stories and traditions of their homelands. Kōloa Plantation Days brings visitors and residents together at more than 30 events and activities spotlighting live music, talk-story sessions, cultural and keiki (children) activities, area hikes, historic exhibits, the Kōloa Plantation Days rodeo, craft fairs, a Family Fun Run and the fest’s annual Parade and Park Celebration. For more information, visit KoloaPlantationDays.com.

•    July 30–August 15, 2021
Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival (Virtual) – The Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival (HRFF), one of the longest-running and most respected queer film festivals in the U.S., is celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year. A mission of the festival is to use the power of film to raise awareness of, and engage, energize and instill a sense of pride and respect in, Hawaiʻi's thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and mahu community. The festival is presented annually by the Honolulu Gay and Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit, in honor of Hawaiʻi LGBTQ pioneer Adam Baran. Films will primarily be screened virtually via hyperlink on viewers’ personal YouTube or Vimeo players, and prominently listed on HRFF’s website and social media accounts. For more information, visit HGLCF.org.

•    July 31 and August 1, 2021
Heiva I Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi) – Check out this colorful two-day Tahitian cultural festival on Kauaʻi featuring competitions for children and adults — ages four to 50-plus — in solo Tahitian dancing, and group competition in traditional and contemporary Tahitian dancing and drumming. The annual festival happens July 31 and August 1, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Kapaʻa Beach Park. For more information, visit HeivaIKauai.com. 

AUGUST 2021

•    August 14, 2021
Volcano’s ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Runs (island of Hawaiʻi) – Enjoy a run through a beautiful ʻōhiʻa forest on the island of Hawaiʻi, with scenic views of Maunakea and Maunaloa volcanoes accompanying you, on this annual fun run. Runners participating in ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Runs can opt for joining either the event’s half-marathon or 5K courses. For more information, visit OhiaLehuaHalf.com.

•    August 21-22, 2021 
Hawaiʻi Spartan Trifecta Weekend (Oʻahu) – This annual sports competition, happening at Kuaola Ranch on the island of Oʻahu, is comprised of four obstacle races  — Sprint, Super, Beast and Ultra Beast — hosted over a single weekend. Participants can compete in individual races or take on the ultimate Spartan Trifecta Challenge, which includes the Sprint + Super + Beast races. The contests are designed to test participants’ physical and mental toughness. For more information, visit Race.Spartan.com.
 
SEPTEMBER 2021

•    September 1, 2021
Kauaʻi Made Products and Kapaʻa Sunshine Market Farmers (Kauaʻi) – Kauaʻi Made Products will partner with Kapaʻa Sunshine Market Farmers on September 1, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., at Kapaʻa Beach Park, to offer locally made goods, art and produce for sale. Residents and visitors are invited to check out the market and support local artisans and farmers. For more information, visit KauaiFestivals.com. 

•    September 2, 2021
End of WWII Commemoration (Oʻahu) –  On September 2, 1945, documents of surrender were formally signed by Imperial Japan aboard the USS Missouri (BB63), marking the official end of World War II. The 76th  Commemoration of the End of World War II, set for September 2, will recognize the historic milestone with ceremonies at the battleship, docked in the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor. The “Mighty Mo,” now a memorial and museum, honors individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice toward restoring peace in the world. End of WWII Commemoration ceremonies, organized by the USS Missouri Memorial Association, annually pay tribute and honor those who served in the war and their families. For more information, visit USSMissouri.org.

•    September 2-5, 2021
Queen Liliʻuokalani Canoe Races (island of Hawaiʻi) – The Queen Liliʻuokalani Canoe Race was founded in 1972 as a training event for the grueling Nā Wāhine o Ke Kai (women’s) and Molokaʻi Hoe (men’s) long-distance canoe races from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu. The race will celebrate its 49th run this September — as always, in Kailua-Kona on Labor Day — welcoming paddlers from around the globe to compete in the world’s largest long distance outrigger canoe race. Other event activities will include a Historic Kailua Village cultural walk, a cultural fair, arts and crafts, food booths, an event blessing, a torch light parade, and a talk-story session with renowned coach, canoe builder and paddler Johnny Puakea. For more information, visit QLCanoeRace.com.

•    September 4-5, 2021
4th Annual Lā ‘‘Ulu Breadfruit Day (Māui) – Lā ‘‘Ulu — ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) for "Breadfruit Day" — is a free daylong event at Māui Nui Botanical Gardens celebrating the harvest season for Hawaiian ʻulu (breadfruit). The annual event also spotlights traditional Hawaiian agriculture, the many products made from Hawaiʻi native and canoe plants, and the culinary and historical culture of ʻulu. Culinary creations, cooking demonstrations and horticultural information from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Rim offered at the event aim to promote the cultivation and use of ʻulu in everyday cooking. For more information, visit MNBG.org. 

•    September 6–October 26, 2021
Festivals of Aloha Māui Nui Style (Māui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi) – Throughout September and October, Festivals of Aloha events on Māui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi — neighboring Hawaiʻi islands collectively called Māui Nui — will honor Native Hawaiian culture and traditions with multiple events, including parades, hoʻolauleʻa (celebrations),  poke-recipe contests, keiki (children’s) crafting and other cultural demonstrations. For more information, visit FestivalsofAloha.com.

•    September 18, 2021
Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run (island of Hawaiʻi) – This fun run offers a challenging course for everyone from keiki (children) to kūpuna (elders) as it winds about the unpaved trails of the island of Hawaiʻi town of Pāhala. Participating runners race through 1,900 acres of coffee fields and macadamia nut groves at the Kaʻū Coffee Mill and can choose courses ranging from a 50K and a half marathon, to 10K and 5K distances. For more information, visit KauCoffeeTrailRuns.com. 

OCTOBER 2021

•    October 9, 2021
IRONMAN World Championship (island of Hawaiʻi) – Professional and age-group triathletes from around the world dream of racing the island of Hawaiʻi’s annual IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona and on the Kohala Coast. The sport of triathlon’s very best competes in a 140.6-mile journey presenting them the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit. Over decades of stellar athlete performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories, the IRONMAN World Championship has become the pinnacle of triathlon competitions and an iconic global sporting event. The legendary course takes its athletes through lava fields and more, offering a challenging setting for the ultimate test of strength, grit and heart. For more information, visit IronMan.com.

•    October 28, 2021
44th Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival (Virtual) – This annual Hawaiian cultural event honoring beloved Hawaiʻi monarch and hula enthusiast Kamehameha V (born Lot Kapuāiwa) brings hula practitioners and admirers together for an exhibition of dance performances by invited hālau hula (hula schools). One of Hawaiʻi’s most revered cultural events, the festival offers residents and visitors an opportunity to experience the beauty, skill and spirit of the Hawaiian art of hula. Hula fans can catch this year’s festival via a televised broadcast and online global livestream. For more information, visit MoanaluaGardensFoundation.org.

 
NOVEMBER 2021

•    November 4-7, 2021
The 50th Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (island of Hawaiʻi) – Hawaiʻi’s oldest food festival celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with four days of coffee tastings, farm tours, contests and entertainment. Other fest events and activities include farm tours with Kona coffee growers and producers, cupping competitions, a quilt show, a recipe contest, a lantern parade, a bon dance and a talent night. For more information, visit KonaCoffeeFest.com.  

•    November 11, 2021
Battleship Missouri Memorial’s Veterans Day Ceremony (Oʻahu) –  Each year, the Battleship Missouri Memorial hosts this annual Veterans Day Ceremony commemorating members of our military. All veterans, past and present, who have served our country with valor and heroism, or made the ultimate sacrifice, are honored at the Pearl Harbor ceremony. The public is invited to attend and remember all who have fought and continue to fight for our country and our freedom. For more information, visit USSMissouri.org.

•    November 11-14, 2021 
Made In Hawaiʻi Festival (Oʻahu) – Popular with both visitors and residents, this annual event features nearly 400 exhibitors showcasing food products, books, gifts, apparel, jewelry, arts and crafts, produce and other home-grown products, all of it produced right here in Hawaiʻi. Attendees of the festival, held at Ala Moana Center, also enjoy cooking demonstrations, live music and dance performances. For more information, visit MadeInHawaiiFestival.com.

•    November 13, 2021
6th Annual 100% Pure Kona Coffee Marathon and Half Marathon (island of Hawaiʻi) – Runners for both of these challenging courses start at Coconut Grove Marketplace and race south down the Kailua-Kona coast to the sea-cliff diving area known by locals as “End of the World,” then back to the marketplace. No matter the distance participants choose — whether the half or full marathon — a cup of Kona coffee awaits all of them at the finish line. For more information, visit PureKonaHalf.com. 

•    November 13, 2021
Old Kōloa Sugar Mill Run (Kauaʻi) – Presented by Willcox Health, the Old Kōloa Sugar Mill Run offers 5K, 10K and half-marathon runs, and a non-competitive 5K walk, setting participants off on courses winding throughout the sunny south shore Kauaʻi district of Kōloa. Stick around post-race for the event’s Benefit Breakfast and enjoy live Hawaiian music — free to all participants, and only $10 for non-participants. The run is organized by the Rotary Club of Kauaʻi as a scholarship fundraiser for local students attending the University of Hawaiʻi’s Kauaʻi Community College. For more information, visit OldKoloaSugarMillRun.org.

•    November 20, 2021
2nd Annual Big Island Ube Festival (island of Hawaiʻi) – Held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, the second annual edition of this festival for ube-lovers offers fans and newbies ample opportunities to taste and learn about the delicious purple yam. Attendees enjoy live entertainment, prize giveaways and sari-sari stores — neighborhood sundry stores in the Philippines — from local food and retail vendors, and island of Hawaiʻi chefs competing in the event’s Ex-UBE-rant Cook Off. Ten percent of the event’s net proceeds are donated to the Hawaiʻi Food Basket and Child Hope Philippines. For more information, visit Instagram.com/Big_Island_Ube_Festival.

•    November 20–December 5, 2021
Hawaiʻi’s Woodshow, Nā Lā ‘au o Hawaiʻi 2021 (Oʻahu) – This annual exhibition spotlighting the works of Hawaiʻi’s most skilled woodworkers includes furniture, musical instruments, carvings, sculptures and more. The show’s opening reception offers opportunities to purchase woodworks while taking in live music, food, woodworking demonstrations and an awards ceremony. The rest of the two-week exhibit provides visitors a chance to talk with woodworkers and learn from educational displays. For more information, visit HawaiiForest.org.

•    November 22-24, 2021
Māui Jim Māui Invitational (Māui) – Hosted on the island of Māui by Chaminade University of Honolulu, this college hoops invitational has been widely hailed by sports writers and fans as one of the best early-season college basketball tournaments in the U.S. It regularly attracts some of the nation’s top-ranked NCAA teams, with matchups happening in front of reliably jubilant crowds at the Lāhainā Civic Center. For more information, visit MauiInvitational.com.

DECEMBER 2021

•    December 1-8, 2021
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Oʻahu) – The 80th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor is set for Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, and is expected to be a major event attracting worldwide attention. Some of the attack survivors expected to be in attendance at this year‘s ceremonies will be more than 100 years old. The theme of the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration is “Valor, Sacrifice and Peace” and planning is still underway. Last year's commemoration, themed “Above and Beyond the Call: Battlefield Oʻahu,” was a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Details on this year’s 80th anniversary commemoration — including information on daily events leading up to the commemoration — will be updated in the months ahead along with information on tickets, guest speakers and COVID-19 advisories. For more information, visit PacificHistoricParks.org.

•    December 5, 2021
XTERRA World Championship (Māui) – The world’s premier off-road triathlon, the XTERRA World Championship celebrates its 25th year off-road this year once again testing the endurance of qualified athletes from more than 20 countries on a Māui course noted for its varied topography and weather conditions. The course for this extreme-sport triathlon begins with a 1.5K swim, followed by a 32K bike ride on the slopes of the West Māui Mountains, and ends with a 10.5K trail run through forest canopies and over beach sand. For more information, visit XterraPlanet.com.

•    December 12, 2021
Honolulu Marathon (Oʻahu) – The fourth largest marathon in the U.S. begins its 26.2-mile route in downtown Honolulu before sunrise, sending runners through metro Honolulu and Waikīkī, then along Oʻahu’s south shore to Hawaiʻi Kai before turning back and finishing in Waikīkī at Kapiʻolani Park. Runners enjoy a large sampling of city views throughout, including passes alongside the beaches of Waikīkī and over the slopes of Lēʻahi (aka Lēʻahi Head State Monument). For more information, visit HonoluluMarathon.org.

•    December 22, 23, 25, 2021
Hawaiian Airlines Lēʻahi Head Classic (Oʻahu) –  Held annually at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, this early-season NCAA Division 1 college basketball tournament hosts eight teams from across the U.S. for 12 games. The family-friendly tournament includes three days of tournament play, practices and related events. For more information, visit DiamondHeadClassic.com.

•    December 24, 2021
Hawaiʻi Bowl (Oʻahu) – The 19th annual Hawaiʻi Bowl returns this Christmas Eve for a college-football matchup at the newly expanded Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus. The Hawaiʻi Bowl is known for its traditionally high-scoring games, thrilling offenses and close matchups, with two overtime contests and seven games decided by one touchdown or less in its history. The annual bowl game supports many nonprofit organizations through its Hawaiʻi Bowl Foundation, with more than $1 million awarded to local charities since the foundation’s inception. For more information, visit HawaiiBowl.com.

•    December 2021
Honolulu City Lights (Oʻahu) – Experience the spirit of the holiday season — minus its chilly weather — at the City and County of Honolulu’s official Christmas tree and winter wonderland display. Hosted annually on the grounds of the Honolulu Civic Center, the monthlong Honolulu City Lights celebration stocks the area with large-scale Christmas-themed displays, holiday trees and wreaths, and, most famously, mammoth effigies Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele — Hawaii-style takes on Santa Clause and Mrs. Claus. For more information, visit HonoluluCityLights.org

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Disclaimer: Events listed in this calendar are subject to change without notice. For the most complete and updated information, please visit individual event websites.

Special note to media: The Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) recognizes the use of the ‘ʻokina [‘] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakö [ä] or macron (ē.g., in place names of Hawaiʻi such as Läna‘i). However, HVCB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.