HoMA Nights - Every Friday Evening
Join us for HoMA Nights, every Friday until 9pm, to explore the galleries, stargaze in the courtyards, enjoy art experiences and music, and connect with the museum community.
HoMA Café and Coffee Bar
The HoMA Café and Coffee Bar are open for bar service with a selection of cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic refreshments, dinner, and grab-and-go menu items.
Café: 5–8:30pm (Food served until 7:30pm)
Coffee Bar: 5–8pm
Music
Hear performances from some of Hawai‘i’s best musicians and DJs every Friday from 6-8pm.
Interactive art experiences and activities
From lawn games to scavenger hunts to art talks, guests will enjoy engaging and interactive art experiences and activities as part of HoMA Nights.
Bishop Museum’s After Hours: 2nd Friday Monthly
Need a place to pau hana? We’ve got you covered! Explore Historic Hawaiian Hall, experience unique changing exhibitions, hear about the latest scientific discoveries, and engage with Hawaiian cultural practitioners all at Bishop Museum’s After Hours events. This monthly evening event welcomes kamaʻāina and visitors to explore Hawaiʻi’s unique and unparalleled cultural and natural history. See Kalaniʻōpuʻu’s feather ʻahu ʻula (cape) and mahiole (helmet) in Hawaiian Hall; check out Hawaiʻi’s animal and plant biodiversity in the Science Adventure Center; explore the newest exhibitions in the Castle Memorial Building and J.M. Long Gallery; or spend your evening under Honolulu’s star-lit sky on the Great Lawn with food and drinks for sale by local vendors.
The Return of Kapaemahu (Free Hula Show - Wednesdays 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
The Return of Kapaemahu shares the long-hidden story of the Healer Stones of Kapaemahu— Hawaiʻi’s unique monument to healing and inclusion -- as a live hula performance steps from the site of the sacred stones on Waikīkī Beach where the healers once lived and performed their miraculous cures. This extraordinary production is composed and directed by hula master Patrick Makuakāne, the first Native Hawaiian recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award.
FREE and OPEN TO PUBLIC
Bon Dances & Obon Festivals 2025 on Oahu
IT’S BON DANCE SEASON 2025 ON OAHU!
Click on the links below to learn more about individual Bon Dances and Festivals taking place on Oahu in 2025.
JUNE 13, 2025
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Hongwanji
JUNE 13, 2025
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Hongwanji
JUNE 21, 2025
Bon Dance at Ewa Hongwanji Mission
JUNE 27, 2025
Bon Dance at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin
JUNE 28, 2025
Bon Dance at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin
JULY 5, 2025
12th Annual Moiliili Summer Fest & Bon Dance (New Location!)
JULY 11, 2025
Obon Bon Dance at Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Church of Hawaii
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Shingon Mission
JULY 12, 2025
Obon at Koboji Shingon Mission
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Shingon Mission
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Church of Hawaii
JULY 18, 2025
Bon Dance at Shinshu Kyokai Mission
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission
JULY 19, 2025
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Jikoen Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission
Bon Dance at Shinshu Kyokai Mission
JULY 26, 2025
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Aiea Hongwanji Mission
August 1, 2025
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Haleiwa Jodo Mission
Bon Dance at Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji
August 2, 2025
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Haleiwa Jodo Mission
Bon Dance at Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji
August 30, 2025
More bon dance dates to come.
Kama‘āina Sundays (second Sundays of the month)
Kamaʻāina Sunday | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ʻIolani Palace welcomes all residents to Kamaʻāina Sunday when guests can explore the Palace, immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture, taste ‘ono food, support local vendors, enjoy lively entertainment, and more. The free event is held on the second Sunday of every month.
Self-led audio tours will be available for the first 500 attendees. A valid Hawaiʻi State ID, Hawaiʻi driver’s license, or proof of Hawaiʻi residency is required for each complimentary ticket. One complimentary ticket per Hawaiʻi resident. Kamaʻāina are encouraged to come early!
Kamaʻāina Sunday’s entertainment and workshops are supported by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority through the Kūkulu Ola Program.
Aloha Festivals 71th Annual Waikīkī Ho‘olaule‘a
Get ready for a beachfront street festival like no other!
Kalākaua Avenue will be transformed with booths showcasing Hawai‘i cuisine, crafts and culture stretching as far as the eye can see. Taste the best of local flavors from around the island in one place, and peruse artisan-made crafts. Multiple stages with incredible entertainment will rock the evening featuring top local artists, award-winning hālau hula, and more.
Aloha Festivals 77th Annual Floral Parade
A colorful procession of Hawaiian culture through Waikīkī
Intricate floats decorated with a rainbow of fresh flowers and men and women on horseback showcasing the traditional art of pāʻū riding. Participants from marching bands to hālau hula to civic leaders display the unique aloha spirit that unites Hawai‘i’s community.
Kāhuli Festival 2025: Ke Kani Nei Ka Pūpū
The 4th Annual Kāhuli Festival’s theme focuses on renewing and restoring cultural connections for conservation and is titled Ke Kani Nei Ka Pūpū – The Land Snails Sing. Through this theme, we acknowledge the resilience of our Hawaiian land snails in an everchanging landscape and how the aliʻi of Hawaiʻi remembered them in the naming of places, like Kamehameha III’s Nuʻuanu home, Kaniakapūpū, and in storytelling. The festival offers an opportunity for the research, conservation, education, and natural cultural resource community to showcase how we mālama pū i ka ʻāina, especially through the cultural lens surrounding endangered Hawaiian land snails and other native species.
Aloha Festivals Royal Court Investiture & Opening Ceremony
The Royal Court Investiture and Opening Ceremony will kick off the month-long Aloha Festivals celebration with its treasured cultural protocols. The evening will begin with The Royal Court Investiture. In a stately ceremony that honors Hawaiʻi’s aliʻi (ruling chiefs), this year’s Aloha Festivals Royal Court will don regalia worn only by aliʻi of the highest rank. As representatives of Hawaiʻi’s past, the Aloha Festivals Royal Court ensures the festival is rooted in the most cherished traditions of Hawaiʻi. Following the Investiture, the Opening Ceremony will feature hula and musical performances for a special evening in the heart of Waikīkī.
49th Annual Honolulu Intertribal Powwow
Free admission. Everyone welcome!
Bring your own chairs & blankets.
9am – Native Hawaiian Blessing, music & performance, followed by Grand Entry at 10am.
Visit with Indigenous & Turtle Island craft vendors, gather resource information from educational & community-based organizations, participate in children’s crafts, enjoy local food vendors and
Navajo frybread prepared by our Navajo relatives, Masen Tsosie and Caroline Begay, throughout the day.
Invited Groups include the Lummi Nation Blackhawk Singers and the Bird Singers from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Host Drum – Blackfoot Drummers
Head Woman Dancer – Taunie Cullooyah, Kalispel Tribe
Head Man Dancer – Robert Thomas, Colville Confederated Tribe
Emcee – Brad Bearsheart
Arena Director – Eric Lonecheif
Okinawan Festival 2025 (more info to come)
Stay tuned for more details!
Cultural performances, activities, exhibits, marketplace, bon dance.
And FOOD! Freshly made ANDAGI, shave ice, Okinawa soba, Pig’s Feet soup, Champura and more.
Kenny Endo 50th Anniversary Celebration Concerts
Enjoy an unforgettable week of concerts, workshops, and cultural experiences honoring 50 years of Kenny Endo’s taiko artistry!
🔥 Don’t miss the epic kickoff concerts:
MA vs Groove I & II – Aug 9 & 10 at Kennedy Theatre (U.H. Mānoa)
📅 August 9–15, 2025
🌐 Tickets & info → kennyendo50.com
Bon Dance at Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji (Friday & Saturday)
2 Nights: Friday and Saturday
Bon Dance, Taiko Performance, Food Booths, Activities
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Jodo Mission (Friday & saturday Nights)
2 Nights! Friday & Saturday
Community members come together to experience Japanese culture and traditions including bon dance, local and ethnic foods, dress, activities and more.
21st Annual Korean Festival 2025
Share, Promote, and Raise Awareness of Korean Culture in the Community
The Korean Festival is an annual event run by the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce, with the support of dozens of community organizations and businesses, and hundreds of volunteers. Proceeds from the Festival are used to fund service projects and ventures which benefit the Korean and larger community in Hawaii, including an annual scholarship fund for outstanding, civic-minded students entering or currently enrolled in college.
The Korean Festival presents a unique, authentic taste of Korean culture through food, dance, art, music, and entertainment. The program of festival events varies from year to year, but past Festivals have included performances such as taekwondo (Korean martial arts) demonstration, a coming-of-age traditional tea ceremony, and Korean fan and drum dances.
Bon Dance at Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji (Friday & Saturday)
2 Nights: Friday and Saturday
Bon Dance, Taiko Performance, Food Booths, Activities
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Jodo Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
2 Nights! Friday & Saturday
Community members come together to experience Japanese culture and traditions including bon dance, local and ethnic foods, dress, activities and more.
Bon Dance at Aiea Hongwanji
Saturday night only
Bon Dance, Taiko Performance, Food Booths, Activities
Bon Dance at Shinshu Kyokai Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
2 Nights! Friday & Saturday: Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Ryusenji-Soto Mission (Friday & saturday Nights)
Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Jikoen Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Ryusenji-Soto Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
2 Nights! Friday & Saturday: Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Shinshu Kyokai Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
2 Nights! Friday & Saturday: Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Shingon Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
Community members come together to experience Japanese culture and traditions including bon dance, local and ethnic foods, dress, activities and more.
Dates and time subject to change.
Obon at Koboji Shingon Mission
2 Nights - Friday & Saturday!
The food booth will open by 5:30pm on Friday and following the Hatsu Bon service on Saturday. Cash only, please.
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Rissho Kosei-Kai Buddhist Church of Hawaii
2 NIGHTS - Friday & Saturday!
Traditional bon dance music and dance provided by the Young Okinawans of Hawaii. There will be food booths serving oden, BBQ plates, warabi mochi, shave ice, musubi, ramen and chow fun. We will also have games for children. We offer visitors a way to pay respect for your ancestors by lighting a candle and place their name on our alter for prayer.
Friday July 12 & Saturday July 13, 2024
Bon Dance at Haleiwa Shingon Mission (Friday & Saturday Nights)
Community members come together to experience Japanese culture and traditions including bon dance, local and ethnic foods, dress, activities and more.
Dates and time subject to change.
Obon Festival & Bon Dance at Rissho Kosei-Kai Buddhist Church of Hawaii
2 NIGHTS – Friday and Saturday!
Traditional bon dance music and dance provided by the Young Okinawans of Hawaii. There will be food booths serving oden, BBQ plates, warabi mochi, shave ice, musubi, ramen and chow fun. We will also have games for children. We offer visitors a way to pay respect for your ancestors by lighting a candle and place their name on our alter for prayer.
Bishop Museum’s July Mele After Hours
Experience the magic of Hawaiian music under the stars at Bishop Museum’s Mele After Hours, returning Friday, July 11, 2025, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the Great Lawn. This special evening celebrates the richness of Hawaiʻi’s musical heritage with a stellar lineup featuring Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom and Kalani Peʻa, the smooth harmonies of Nā Hoa, the dynamic sounds of ʻUheʻuhene, and the graceful hula of Merrie Monarch award winning, Hālau Nā Mamo o Puʻuanahulu. Beloved local radio personality Mele Apana returns as host, guiding the evening’s festivities with her signature warmth and aloha.
Mauli Ola Culture & Community
Visit Windward Mall Center Stage on July 10th, for an incredible day of mea Hawai’i, learning, and fun! Perfect for the entire ʻohana and completely FREE. Celebrate the intersection between Mauli Ola, culture, and community!
12th Annual Moiliili Summer Fest & Bon Dance (New location!)
The Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest is an annual festival held during the Bon season and is a fundamental aspect of modern-day culture and life in Hawaii. Celebrating Japanese and Hawaiian roots of one of the oldest neighborhoods in Hawaii, the Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest is home to the largest Bon dance in Honolulu.
Bon Dance at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin (Friday & Saturday Evenings)
2 Nights: Friday and Saturday
At 6 p.m., festivities begin outside with a taiko drumming performance, which will be followed by an opening aspiration from the yagura (the stage around which we dance) at 6:15 p.m. Dancing begins at 6:30 p.m.
Dancing
Taiko drumming (PBA on Friday, temple’s group on Saturday)
Fellowship
Honoring ancestors
Bontique shop in our Social Hall
Professional photos by Studio FX3 (kimonos & assistance dressing provided!)
Temple tours (from main, upper-level sanctuary or hondo)
Kids’ “Wheel of Chances” game
Ono food!
BBQ Plates & Bowls
Hot Dogs, Teri Hamburgers
Saimin
Chili
Soy Beans
Spam Musubi
Shave Ice
Andagi (Saturday only)
Baked Goods
Water, Juice, Soda
Bon Dance at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin
2 Nights: Friday and Saturday
At 6 p.m., festivities begin outside with a taiko drumming performance, which will be followed by an opening aspiration from the yagura (the stage around which we dance) at 6:15 p.m. Dancing begins at 6:30 p.m.
Dancing
Taiko drumming (PBA on Friday, temple’s group on Saturday)
Fellowship
Honoring ancestors
Bontique shop in our Social Hall
Professional photos by Studio FX3 (kimonos & assistance dressing provided!)
Temple tours (from main, upper-level sanctuary or hondo)
Kids’ “Wheel of Chances” game
Ono food!
BBQ Plates & Bowls
Hot Dogs, Teri Hamburgers
Saimin
Chili
Soy Beans
Spam Musubi
Shave Ice
Andagi (Saturday only)
Baked Goods
Water, Juice, Soda
Bon Dance at Ewa Hongwanji Mission
“As we celebrate Obon, don't forget to look up into the night sky. As countless as the stars in the sky are, so are the teachings of our ancestors and the many lives that come into our lives. Let us take the time to contemplate that and appreciate the lives we have because of others.” - Ewa Hongwanji Reverend
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission (Friday & Saturday Evenings)
2 NIGHTS! Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
Bon Dance at Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission (Friday & Saturday Evenings)
2 NIGHTS! Traditional bon dance music and dance
Food booths, activities, fun for all ages.
42nd Annual Pan-Pacific Festival
Celebrate the spirit of aloha with three days of cultural performances, vibrant parades, delicious food, and family-friendly fun in the heart of Waikīkī.
35th Annual Obon Celebration at Hawaii’s Plantation Village
This year’s celebration will once again feature 10 bon dance groups from all over Oahu. The 10 groups featured are: Ewa Fukushima Bon Dance Club Haleiwa Bon Dance Club Hawaii Eisa Shinyuu Kai Hawaii Shin Kobukai Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai Koolau Sakura Odori Kai Oahu District Bon Dance Club Senwa Kai Wahiawa Hongwanji Bon Dance Team Waipahu Soto Mission Bon Dance Class
The celebration will also feature special performances by emcee and singer Hikariyama Torao and taiko performances by Waipahu Taiyoji Taiko and Ryugen Taiko. A special lantern floating ceremony will also take place at the village pond at sunset. A limited number of lanterns will be available for purchase at the event at the Waipahu Soto Zen Temple tent.
Parking and shuttle service will be available at Waipahu Elementary School and Hawaii Tech Academy between 3:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Donations are welcomed for the shuttle service. Limited handicap parking available on site.