The Best Events to Close Out the Year
Oʻahu’s end-of-year calendar is packed with reasons to get out and explore. From dazzling Honolulu City Lights to cultural festivals, food-filled gatherings, and the excitement of the Honolulu Marathon, make the most of the season with unforgettable experiences, local traditions, and plenty of aloha along the way.
Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival
One of the biggest culinary events in the state and a standout for an Oʻahu fall events guide. One of the festival’s defining elements is its emphasis on local ingredients: every participating chef must incorporate at least one locally grown, raised or caught ingredient into their dishes.
Ko Olina New Luau
Kaula is being positioned as more theatrical and story-driven than a traditional lūʻau. The production follows Mahina, a young Native Hawaiian woman, as she learns about her family lineage through stories shared by her grandmother. Those stories connect her ancestry to Hawaiʻi, Tahiti and Sāmoa.
Honolulu Marathon
Dec 13th, runners will travel through Downtown Honolulu, Waikīkī, around Diamond Head, through Kahala and Hawaiʻi Kai, along the southeast coast, and back toward Kapiʻolani Park. The 26.2-mile course has no time limit, so walkers and recreational runners can participate alongside serious marathoners.
Honolulu City Lights
The signature holiday celebration, transforming Downtown Honolulu into a festive winter wonderland each December. The centerpiece is Honolulu Hale, where enormous illuminated displays, decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and the famous Shaka Santa and Tūtū Melе create a distinctly Hawaiian take on the holidays.
Honolulu Pride
LGBTQIA+ celebration and one of the island’s biggest fall events. Designed as both a celebration and a community event, the weekend brings together LGBTQIA+ residents, visitors and allies for music, entertainment, local organizations, food, parties and cultural programming.
Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF)
Founded in 1981, it focuses particularly on cinema from Hawaiʻi, Asia and the Pacific, while also bringing acclaimed international films and emerging filmmakers to local audiences. It also brings together filmmakers, actors, critics and audiences for conversations, panels and special events, putting a particular emphasis on Pacific and Asian voices.