What's New to Do on Oahu in the Spring and Summer of 2008

The island of Oahu has plenty of fun filled activities that everyone can enjoy. While visiting Oahu you can choose from a wide variety of outdoor or indoor activities or explore the Hawaiian culture.

• Learn all about the gentle giants of the sea at Bishop Museum's Whales: Wonders of the Ocean exhibit from May 17-September 17. Life-size robotic whales illustrate the major categories of whale origins, adaptations and behavior. The exhibit will feature full-sized robotic versions of a Baby Gray whale, a Humpback whale and an Orca, and animated heads of a Northern Right whale and a Sperm whale.
  
  
• New to the Honolulu nightlife scene are restaurant turned nightspots at Chai's Island Bistro, RumFire and Pearl Ultralounge. Chai's Island Bistro offers an indoor-outdoor nightlife experience at Aloha Tower Marketplace every Saturday night. DJs spin hip-hop, '80s, soul, funk mashups, dancehall, and R&B on the outside patio and indoor dance floor. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, RumFire at Sheraton Waikiki turns into an oceanfront nightspot complete with house DJs, dancers and musicians. In addition, tapas and libations are served throughout the night. On Fridays, Pearl Ultralounge at Ala Moana Center features guest DJs from Hawai'i and the mainland U.S. spinning until 4 a.m.
  
  
• Cruise around O'ahu in a sporty dunebuggy from Dunebuggy Adventures. Dunebuggy Adventures offers dunebuggies for rent or customized dunebuggy tours that can lead you to magnificent viewpoints, tropical rain forests, secret beaches, and more.
  
  
• The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa added two Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning groups to the Village's entertainment rotation. Making their debut are the Typical Hawaiians and Na Kama. Typical Hawaiians bring their catchy reggae style to the Tropics Bar from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, and Na Kama plays at the Tapa Bar each Wednesday evening from 8-11 p.m. Olomana, featuring the legendary Jerry Santos, performs at the Tapa Bar each Friday from 8-11 p.m.
  
  
• Organized by the Asia Society and the Japanese American National Museum, Honolulu Academy of Arts will present One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now, from June to August, bringing together 17 artists from across the country who challenge and extend the category of Asian-American art. The title of the exhibition, taken from the 1970s Blondie hit, suggests that there has never been a formulaic way of making or seeing art. Instead, these artists initiate a new set of conversations that highlight the multidimensional ways of conceptualizing and producing art today.
  
  
• Some of China's most important contemporary artists will be showcased at the Honolulu Academy of Arts from June to August in Shu: Reinventing Books in Chinese Contemporary Art. This exhibition is the first in the U.S. to explore how artists are reexamining traditional Chinese books and albums through the lens of China's recent history and social transformation. More than 30 works, spanning more than two decades, will include artists' books, paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures.
  
  
• The highly popular First Friday events that take place in Honolulu's Chinatown now also occur on the Second Saturday and Third Thursday of each month. On First Friday, Second Saturday and Third Thursday, Chinatown's art galleries extend their hours into the night and offer live music and drink specials.
  
  
• A new "Sunday Showcase" of island entertainment highlights Outrigger's Na Mele No Na Pua – Music for the Generations Hawaiian music heritage program at Waikiki Beach Walk. This free program features popular Hawaiian musicians, up-and-coming local performers, hula halau presentations, and other island performances on the Plaza Stage at Waikiki Beach Walk each Sunday, from 5-6 p.m.
  
  
• Experience the latest surfing trend and world's fastest growing recreational water sport – stand-up paddle boarding – with Paddle Core Fitness. Experienced instructors certified in lifesaving, CPR and first aid will teach you the proper technique to ride the gentle waves of Waikiki.
  
  
• The Hawaiian Village at Polynesian Cultural Center will welcome the Halau Wa'a, or canoe house of learning, to its array of cultural offerings this summer. The $2.65 million facility will house the Iosepa voyaging canoe and provide visitors the opportunity to learn about Polynesian voyaging techniques firsthand.
  
  
• Starting May 4, the Star of Honolulu's Hawaiian Cultural Cruise gives guests the opportunity to experience Hawaii through hands-on cultural activities. Amidst panoramic views of the Oahu coastline, the two-hour daytime cruise features lei making, hula and ukulele lessons, fish feeding, a Hawaiian culture video presentation, and the "Enchanting Waikiki" hula show.
  
  
• Waikiki Nei, an innovative theatrical production, will open at the Royal Hawaiian Center at the end of June. Waikiki Nei will use evocative action and visual imagery to create a stunning journey through the evolution of Waikiki. The 80-minute show will feature dancers, live musicians, acrobats, and actors, as well as cutting-edge lighting, sound, stage machinery, and automation never before used in Hawai'i. Following each night's show, the Waikiki Nei Theatre will transform into a contemporary nightclub and ultralounge featuring a 4,500 square-foot dance floor, renowned DJs, aerial acts, model servers, interactive tables, and 7,000 square-foot lanai with an outdoor bar and cabanas.

Next Page > Festivals and Events