Putting a city street into a museum is about as hard as you think it would be, but the folks at Pow! Wow! and Bishop Museum have done it. All it took was months of preparation, roughly 800 cans of spray paint and a donated car. Oh, and also some of the most talented mural […]
Gardening is an unforgiving, but rewarding, pursuit. Plants are fickle, their lives fragile. One missed day of watering, too much sunlight, not enough weeding. There are endless ways to lose months of effort. So why do we garden? To grow produce to feed ourselves and loved ones? To learn a new skill? Maybe to clear
Do you know the story of the Haleʻiwa Hotel? Not many people do. The illustrious property closed its doors in 1943, as the epicenter of Oʻahu’s tourism industry cemented itself in Waikīkī, and the building itself was torn down a decade later in 1953. But for a moment, this country estate served as a dream
Stacy Farias holds up a strand of precious pakalana, strung together with hundreds of delicate flowers, and the sweet scent perfumes the air. More flower lei are arrayed on the table in front of her: pale orange pua kenikeni, plumeria in rainbow shades, precious pakalana, ti twisted into handsome lei for men. Sophia’s—the place is
There was something great that happened in 2020. A new Hawaiian monk seal was born. And this month that pup (RM90) got a name. It’s Mele, the Hawaiian word for “song.” The pup, who was born in either late spring or early summer on Oʻahu, was given her name by a group of third graders
Growing up in Kailua on O‘ahu’s Windward Side, Ryan Katsuno would go to Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop at least once a week, stocking up on sweet bread, pastries and—the bakery’s signature treat—malasadas. Malasadas are Hawai‘i’s quintessential comfort food. They’re basically deep-fried, sugar-dusted doughnuts, brought to Hawai‘i with the 1878 arrival of Portuguese plantation laborers from the Madeira and Azores islands. And
Master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui doesn’t just tell spooky stories and lead ghost tours around Honolulu. He also blesses homes, often in attempt to rid them of lurking spirits. He shares a story about blessing a home in Nuʻuanu after the owner’s wife had died of cancer on a particularly foggy day. Find out what happens! Want
Pua Hana Flower & Lei Photo: Courtesy of The Kaimukī Lei Stand “We wanted to make lei that had an old Hawai‘i feel,” says Keoni Williams, who, along with husband Makamae, had some unexpected time away from their hospitality jobs due to COVID-19 and decided to pursue their passion and open The Kaimukī Lei Stand.
The origin of the shaka, and how it got its unique name, has long been shrouded in mystery. Some say it came from David “Lippy” Espinda, who owned a local gas station and would greet his customers with a shaka. Others believe that the shaka came from Spanish immigrants, who would put their thumbs to
Most of have heard of Menehune—but never seen one. Menehune are a legendary race of small people—typically no taller than 3 feet—who work at night, building fish ponds, roads and temples in the Islands. They are known to be kohole (mischievous), too. (Read more about Menehune here.) In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka
Halloween is just around the corner and you know what that means! Tricks and treats, an assortment of pumpkin-flavored beverages, horrifying costumes and—of course—spooky stories. The kind that gives you chicken skin (Hawaiʻi slang for goosebumps) and makes it hard to sleep at night. Our staffers, and friends from sister-publications, shared with us a few terrifying
Many of us in Hawaiʻi have had our homes blessed by a kahuna (priest). In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui tells the story about a flamboyant kahuna who tries to bless an un-blessable house on Oʻahu. You won’t believe what happens! WATCH MORE Haunted Hawaiʻi: A Spirit-Filled House in Nuʻuanu
