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.
- The Bishop Museum will kick off its three-part summer concert series, Moonlight Mele, on June 25 with a performance by award-winning local musician Sean Naauao.
The family-friendly concerts are presented under the stars on the Great Lawn at Bishop Museum on the last Thursday of each month from June to August. Acclaimed falsetto singer Darren Benitez and multiple Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Hoku Zuttermeister will perform on July 30, and Grammy nominee Raiatea Helm will grace the Great Lawn on August 27.
- On Aug. 8, 2009, Bishop Museum will reopen its acclaimed Hawaiian Hall, designed by Ralph Applebaum, which showcases the world's largest collection of Native Hawaiian and Pacific area artifacts, many of which have never been publicly displayed before.
Hawaiian Hall's three distinct floors will include artifacts from various periods throughout Hawaii's history, stories and legends of old Hawaii, and quotes and art pieces from contemporary Hawaiian cultural practitioners. Hawaiian Hall will also include Polynesian Hall, which traces the Pacific origins of the Hawaiian people, and an interactive resource center providing hands-on children's activities.
- From March 21 to June 21, 2009, The Contemporary Museum will celebrate its 21st anniversary by honoring contemporary Hawaiian artists during "20 Going On 21: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Looking to the Future – An Exhibition of Hawaii Artists." The exhibition displays hand-selected pieces by twenty-one different local artists.
- Japanese artist Yoshihiro Suda's works will be on display at The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu from July 11 to Oct. 25, 2009. Suda is internationally known for his installations of delicate carved and painted wooden plant life.
Suda's sculptures of indigenous Japanese plants and flowers are meticulously created with surprising realism and in true-to-life scale that, at times, borders on the miniscule. This will be Suda's first solo exhibition in the United States.
- The Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM) will feature "Live from the Lawn," a monthly event occurring every first Friday of the month. On May 1, the locally renowned Cruz family will perform live Hawaiian music with special guests.
In June, "Live from the Lawn" will celebrate contemporary dance with performances by Hawaii Ballet, Tau Dance, Iona, Convergence Dance Theatre, Upside Down Dance, and independent choreographers and dancers.
The July 3 program features capoeira, live Latin jazz, Flamenco dancing, and Brazilian Batacuda percussion and dancing, and in August, the gymnastic artists of Samadhi will perform aerial dancing with Makana accompanying on guitar.
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa premiered its new Waikiki Starlight Luau on Feb. 23. The luau takes places on the resort's rooftop garden five nights a week and features hula and Polynesian dancing by Tihati Productions. The luau includes a dinner buffet featuring a modern twist on traditional luau fare.
- "Artists of Hawaii," the state's oldest, most prestigious juried exhibition, returns as a biennial exhibit to the Honolulu Academy of Arts from May 14 to Aug. 16, 2009. The juror of the exhibition's 58th installment is Laura Hoptman, Senior Curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.
- The National Park Service began construction on the new visitor center to replace the current USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center shore side facility at Pearl Harbor.
The existing visitor center and tours to the USS Arizona Memorial will remain open throughout the two-year construction period that is scheduled to end in December 2010. The new $58 million visitor center at Pearl Harbor will feature expanded facilities, including indoor and outdoor museum galleries and a central information and ticketing venue for all major Pearl Harbor sites.
- In celebration of Hawaii-born U.S. President Barack Obama, Polynesian Adventure Tours recently began operating a Presidential Obama Tour on Oahu.
Visitors on the tour will travel to historical locations in President Obama's childhood, as well as other significant and scenic spots around the island, and learn about the Hawaiian culture and special events that have helped shaped the new President's life. The tour includes stops at Obama's birthplace, first home and high school, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Halona Blowhole, Sandy Beach, Kailua Beach, Waiola Shave Ice, Zippy's restaurant, and more.
- The Sullivan Estate recently began offering day spa services at its 5.2-acre private property on Oahu's North Shore. The JK7 Spa at the Sullivan Estate offers 7 Sense OlaLoa SPA Packages that includes spa treatments to stimulate and revive your senses, and fresh food items prepared with organic ingredients at its OlaLoa Health Gourmet Café.
Guests who book at the Sullivan Estate & SPA Retreat will not be booked with other parties, offering total privacy and access to the entire estate and its amenities, including a saltwater swimming pool, 12-person jacuzzi, yoga and meditation room, sauna, and workout facilities.
- Waimea Valley reopened to the public on Jan. 19 following an extensive cleanup of the valley. Activities at the valley, including "The Magnificent Alae Ula Walk," "The Native Plant Walk," "Moolelo o Waimea – History of Waimea Walk," Hawaiian games, and "Visit with Kupuna" will also be open to the public.
On the first and third Sunday of each month, Waimea Valley Botanical Collections Specialist David Orr will provide walking tours through the valley, highlighting different plants and fruits along the way.
Next Page > Spring and Summer 2009 Festivals and Events
