Events by Month

JANUARY
Friday, January 4, 2008 – 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk
Galleries and other venues host monthly opening receptions to showcase their new exhibits. Where: The Arts District, see Gallery Walk Map (link above)

January 25 & 26, 2008 – 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Chinatown Cultural Plaza Festivities
Chinatown Cultural Plaza hosts a Chinese New Year’s Festival celebration. Visit www.chinatownhi.com for more information on all Chinese New Year activities.

January 26, 2008 – 5:30 to 11:00 pm
Chinatown Chase
Hawaii Theatre Center’s second annual CHINATOWN CHASE offers an evening of adventurous, code-cracking, brain-wracking merriment. This sleuthfest is now signing up teams of 10 who wish to put their collective talents together for the 2008 challenge. Much like a road rally – but on foot – teams will be challenged to solve clever clues and perform other feats as they visit area galleries, watering holes, restaurants and landmarks in a race to the finish line. Dinner, dancing, team prizes and a silent auction follow. Visit www.chinatownchase.com for more information. Where: Chinatown/The Arts District

FEBRUARY
Friday, February 1, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008 may be the biggest day in recent Chinatown history. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce will kick off the Chinese New Year festivities with lion dance processions throughout Chinatown at the same time that the Arts District’s galleries have their First Friday Gallery walk openings. Following are the specific events taking place:

Lion Dances, 5-9pm - Follow the dancing lions as they visit area businesses collecting Chinese good luck li-see envelopes and light firecrackers to scare away evil spirits. Where: up and down King St., Nu’uanu Ave., Hotel St., Maunakea St. in Chinatown/the Arts District
First Friday Gallery Walk, 5-9pm - See description above. Where: The Arts District
Chinatown Cultural Plaza Festivities, 5-11pm - Celebrate Chinese culture. Enjoy traditional Chinese favorites including jai (monk’s food), jin doi (Chinese doughnut) and gau (new year’s pudding). Entertainment includes ethnic dance troupes, local music groups and martial arts demonstrations. Where: Chinatown Cultural Plaza.
Royal Hawaiian Band/other live entertainment at Smith-Beretania Park, 6-9pm – Take a break from following the lion dances and visiting area galleries to take in some live local entertainment.

Saturday, February 2, 2008
Maunakea Street Festival, 9:00am–10:30pm - Chinese New Year festivities with entertainment, food and traditional arts and crafts for sale.
Chinatown Parade, starts at 4:00pm - Parade participants include acrobats and martial artists. Where: Hotel Street, from HI State Arts Museum to River Street.
Chinatown Cultural Plaza Festivities, 5-11pm - Celebrate Chinese culture. Enjoy traditional Chinese favorites including jai (monk’s food), jin doi (Chinese doughnut) and gau (new year’s pudding). Entertainment includes ethnic dance troupes, local music groups and martial arts demonstrations. Where: Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 - 5:30 to 10:00pm
Mardi Gras/Carnival Street Festival
On Fat Tuesday Nu‘uanu Avenue will transform into a whirl of percussion, samba, parades and floats. Enjoy live batucadas (Brazilian percussion groups), sinful food and live music.  Download a flyer here. Where: Nu’uanu Ave. between Chaplain Ln. & King St.

Friday, February 8, 2008 (2-08-08) - 5:00 to 8:00pm
Double 8 Celebration, An Auspicious Evening in the Arts District
Everyone’s Day/Everybody’s Birthday
Receive a Prosperity Li-see from participating art galleries and stores (while supplies last - see below for participant list). Special events include artists receptions, birthday party, grand opening and trunk show.

MARCH
Friday, March 7, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 6:30 pm
Movie on the Mall
Hawai‘i Pacific University kicks off its 2008 “Movie on the Mall” outdoor film series March 12 at 6:30 p.m. on upper Fort Street Mall, in front of the Model Progress building (1188 Fort Street Mall) with Supersize Me, a 2004 Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary about health hazards wreaked by our fast food nation. Starting at 5:00 p.m., local radio station HOT 93.9 will play music and hand out promotional items, while Govindaji’s on Fort Street Mall will provide vegetarian and vegan food.

APRIL
Friday, April 4, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

MAY
Friday, May 2, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

JUNE
Friday, June 6, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

JULY
Friday, July 4, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

AUGUST
Friday, August 1, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

8.8.08 March 12, 2008 - 6:30 pm
888 "Triple Eight" Street Festival
Come celebrate the most aupicious day of the year and the Olympic opening ceremonies. Live broadcast of the Olympics Opening Ceremony on a 16' x 20' movie screen on Hotel St.

In Galleries & Stores
11:00AM-8:00PM - FREE lucky wish bookmarks & raffle tickets
6:00-7:45pm - FREE bubbles & lions blessing area businessess

STREET FESTIVAL [6:00-10:00]
Live entertainment including: Cherry Blossom Cabaret, Doolin Rakes, Saloon Pilots
8:08PM - Bubble Wish Countdown & Lion Dances, Howard Dashefsky of KHNL countsdown to the bubble-wish blowing moment as 8 lions dancing auspiciously

Food on the Street by: Bale, Soul de Cuba & enjoy the cuisine of the CHINATOWN/ARTS DISTRICT RESTAURANTS

Bubble Machines throughout the Arts District

SEPTEMBER
Friday, September 5, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

Friday, September 19, 2008 - 6:00 "ish" to 10:00 pm
Taste of the arts street festival
Celebrate the international cuisine and music of The Arts District at the 2nd annual Taste of the Arts Street Festival. Chef demonstrations include Dave Cruz of Indigo, Kamal Jemmari of Soul de Cuba, Scott Nelon of Brasserie Du Vin, and David Hoffman of Epic Restaurant. Wine Tasting will be hosted by Sommeliers Eric Chandler and Tiana Kahauwila (from Brasserie Du Vin) at Nuuanu and King Street. Live music will be performed throughout the evening on three stages.

International cuisine will be on offer from: Indigo, Soul de Cuba, Cafè Joy, Bale, Kevin Two Boots, Le Crepe Cafè, Brasserie Du Vin, Epic, and Little Village. Every participating restaurant lies within a two block walk of the festival and each culinary artist will feature an entree unique to their restaurant. All menu items will be paired with fine wines and premium beers, provided by Paradise Beverages and Southern Wines.

OCTOBER
Friday, October 3, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

Friday, October 31, 2008 - 3:00 to 10:30 pm
HalloBALOO Music + arts festival
On October 31, the Arts District will be the site of a unique Halloween celebration: a Halloween “Hallowbaloo” with world-class entertainment on six stages, a Trick or Treat Gallery Walk/Jack-o-Lantern Contest, a Costume Contest and the kind of raucous Halloween revelry that can only happen once a year.  The Arts District is the perfect stage for hosting an ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ celebration – historic storefronts conjure up visions of spirits from the past; wide, long streets allow for unrestricted gallivanting by herds of costumed crazies; a colorful group of merchants stand at the ready - thrilled to have a chance to inject their own brand of passion into the night; and a broad array of music clubs ranging from dark and haunted to light and artsy undoubtedly provide a mood to meet everyone’s fancy.

Trick-or-Treat Gallery Walk, 3:00 - 6:30 pm: The Hallowbaloo festivities will begin in traditional fashion with trick or treating in the galleries of the Arts District. Select galleries will remain open until 6:30pm to welcome the Halloween revelers. Get a 'Gallery Passport' and have it stamped by all participating galleries to earn a chance to win great prizes including a free inter-island vacation package that includes roundtrip airfare for two and three mights accommodation.

Free Street Festival, 6:00 - 10:00 pm :  The Street Festival on Nu‘uanu Avenue will showcase three stages of entertainment and run from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.  Highlights include free performances by Brett Dennen and Papa Mali, both of whom regularly headline many of America’s largest music festivals.  Singer-songwriter Brett Dennen (currently touring with John Mayer) will take the stage at 7 pm and share his unadorned, yet supremely captivating, songs that have earned him comparisons to Bob Dylan and sparked a groundswell of support across the country.  Papa Mali (a past standout at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and coming off a recent tour with B.B. King) will go on at 9 p.m.  Papa Mali and his distinctive brand of voodoo blues and Southern funk will be joined by New Orleans Mardi Gras legend Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and iconic drummer Bill Kreutzmann (formerly of the ‘Grateful Dead’).

Friday, November 7, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]

DECEMBER
Friday, December 5, 2008 - 5:00 to 9:00 pm
First Friday Gallery Walk [see featured events description]