5 Hawai’ian Islands for Arts and Culture

There’s more to a Hawai’i vacation than sand and sea. The Islands also offer a thriving arts and cultural scene that will appeal to visitors of all ages, and which take place at all of the major islands. Here are five of our favorite categories to put on your itinerary.

Main Street Events and Walks

Put a cultural spin on nightlife at the Hanapepe Town Friday Art Night in Kauai. Art galleries, restaurants, bakeries and retailers open late every Friday for post-sunset art strolling. Fridays are also lively at Maui Friday Town Parties, which take place on Main Street in either Wailuku, Lahaina, Makawao or Kihei. Even Lanai island gets into the act with Friday town parties in Lanai City.

Finally, take TGIF to a new level at the monthly First Friday Downtown Art Walk and Third Fridays Kaimuki in Honolulu’s Chinatown and Kaimuki neighborhoods, full of galleries, boutique retailers and hipster eateries.

On the Big Island, enjoy the famous farmers market in Hilo’s historic downtown district, or take in the monthly Kokua Kailua Village Stroll in Kona, on the island of Hawai’i’s west side.

Historical and Cultural Sites

Learning about Hawai’ian history and culture is more compelling in the actual locations where they took place. Visit the four National Park Service-managed sites on the island of Hawai’i’s west side and discover centuries-old loko ia of fishponds, protected wetlands and native birdlife, and Hawai’ian green sea turtles on the coastal trail of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. Learn early Hawai’ian crafts and skills at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site. All three sites are linked by the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, a foot trail that circles the island and which early Hawai’ians used to travel between coastal settlements. On Oahu, learn about early Hawai’ian aquaculture on a tour of Heeia loko ia, in the process of being restored, and learn about the last reigning Hawai’ian monarchs, King David Kalakaua and sister Queen Liliuokalani, at their home, the Iolani Palace, near downtown Honolulu.

Hawai’ian Festivals and Special Events

The Prince Lot Hula Festival features some of the best hula dancing on Oahu at the Iolani Palace; the Honolulu Festival showcases the artists and cultural practitioners of Hawai’i’s Pacific Rim; Koloa Plantation Days on Kauai focuses on food and town tours; the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Island of Hawai’i targets coffee lovers everywhere, and the Honolulu Biennial 2019, features art from the Pacific, Asia and the Americas.

Museums and Antiquities

The famous, 129-year-old Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum on Oahu offers a massive collection of Polynesian artifacts; the Imiloa Astronomy Center on the island of Hawai’i wows with interactive exhibits that explore the connections between modern astronomy at Maunakea Volcano and early Hawai’ian studies of the cosmos. The exhibits at Kauai Museum spotlight the impact of the sugar plantation-era cultures of Kauai and neighboring island Niihau. Hale Hoikeike at the Bailey House displays the Maui Historical Society’s collection of pre-Western contact Hawai’ian antiquities, Christian missionary-era and plantation-era artifacts, as well as a century-old Hawai’ian waa (canoe). Hawai’i’s Plantation Village offers a glimpse into the life of an early 20^th-century sugar plantation village. 

Food-Centric Festivals and Local Restaurants

Multicultural dining is enjoying a robust renaissance in Hawai’i. Favorite dishes include kalua pork, laulau, poke, luau stew and recipes crafted with varietals of kalo, uala (sweet potato) and ulu (breadfruit). Along with these traditional options, popular dishes introduced by Portuguese, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Okinawan and Puerto Rican field laborers during Hawai’i’s sugar and pineapple plantation era are widely available.

The star annual culinary event is the Hawai’i Food and Wine Festival, which shines a spotlight on the wares of local farmers, fishermen and ranchers and includes a line-up of invited chefs from Hawai’i and around the world. Or bring your appetite to some of the state’s many other food festivals, including the Okinawan Festival, Korean Festival, Filipino Fiesta, A Taste of the Hawaiian Range and the Honolulu Poke Fest, among others.

These events take place year-round and details are available via Hawai’i Tourism United States.