In our May/June issue of HAWAII Magazine, we asked members of our social media audience what their dream trip to Hawaii would be, and then helped plan it out. “I want to go on a culinary trip to every island: Tasting the local flavors from the basic food trucks to Michelin-rated restaurants.” -Jennifer Vick Cox, […]
It was a historic moment Saturday, June 17, 2017 as the Hokulea, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe, and her sister vessel, Hikianalia, returned home to dock in Hawaii after being away for three years on the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage. Her journey took her around the world, roughly 40,300 nautical miles, and to more than 150 ports in
Each year on Memorial Day, an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people from all over the globe gather on the shores of Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island to take part in a breathtakingly beautiful memorial ceremony hosted by Shinnyo-en, an international Buddhist community. This year, over 7,000 lanterns, inscribed with notes to lost family and
A three-day weekend is traditionally the perfect opportunity for beach barbecues and holiday picnics, but here are ways you can get to the heart of the holiday too, and remember the servicemen and women that Memorial Day honors. 1. Hawaii Memorial Day Parade Saturday, May 27, 2017 The Hawaii Memorial Day Parade. Photo courtesy: Hawaii Memorial
*This story was updated in January 2026. Drive some of Hawaiʻi’s main thoroughfares and you might notice a curious thing: The presence of restaurants declaring themselves “drive-ins,” although that is clearly not the case. An idea popularized in the 1950s across America and recreated in the Islands with local-style plate lunches, loco moco and saimin,
It’s been called the “Hawaiian Grammys”—in fact, many Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning musicians have even gone on to win Grammys. That said, it’s definitely Hawaii’s biggest night in music and you won’t want to miss it. Presented by the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts, this year’s star-studded awards ceremony features 17 genre categories, spanning everything
Hale Motuapuaka is an overachiever. Not only does the teenager, of Tongan descent (with Samoan ties, he says), play football for Punahou High School as a defensive tackle, he also plays the drums, ukulele, guitar and bass. But his primary passion—something he’s been doing since he was just 3 years old—is fireknife dancing. A six-time World
Mead, a honey wine considered the oldest alcoholic beverage in recorded history, is as versatile in style and flavor as beer or wine. In its simplest form, mead is fermented with honey, water and yeast, but Nani Moon Meadery in Kapaa, Kauai, puts a unique Hawaii spin on the traditional recipe. Hawaii’s only meadery, Nani
There’s plenty to do in Hawaii in May, no matter which island you’re on. Make a lei for Lei Day, take mom out on a brunch cruise, try some great Maui brews or go to the 50th State Fair. STATEWIDE Lei Day Celebration May 1 May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, with beautiful floral
Since its massive renovation in 2016, the International Market Place, which dominates the center of Waikiki, has a totally new face. Change isn’t all bad, though. In place of the old food court, we got the third-floor Grand Lanai, a world-class collection of restaurants by some of the most esteemed names in the culinary biz,
Hawaii’s food is among the top reasons to love this place. The Islands boast a richness of diversity in its cuisine that can only come from a place with such a melting pot of cultures—part Asian, part European, part Hawaiian—and a wealth of fresh, local ingredients, including seafood, Island beef and tropical fruits and vegetables.
On all four major islands, you’ll find homegrown breweries creating quality craft beer with ingredients unique to Hawaii. Sure, it’s more expensive to run a brewery here. But that’s just another testament to the passion that drives these brewers to set up shop in the Islands and keep their entire brewing process local. Here’s a
