Our event calendar features fun, free, and cheap things to do across the Hawaiian Islands. We focus on events for locals, but visitors will find lots of useful information. For the weekend of Mei (May) 16-18, 2025, you'll find events of all kinds curated from organizers and venues across the state. Free and cheap things to do this weekend For weekdays or any other weekend during the year be sure to visit the Hawaiʻi on the … [Read more...] about Free and cheap things to this weekend
Oʻahu: 50th State Fair at Aloha Stadium
From its founding in the Territory of Hawaii in 1903 to today, the family-owned kama'āina E. K. Fernandez Shows has brought entertainment experiences to Hawaiʻi for over a century. Families, sports teams, churches, schools, and other businesses and organizations can enjoy carnival rides, play games and win prizes, and enjoy tasty fair treats or a delicious plate on the midway. The Fernandez company is recognized nationally and internationally for its long history … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: 50th State Fair at Aloha Stadium
Oʻahu: Help Sew 38,000 Lei for Memorial Day
As unique and diverse as our communities are in Hawaiʻi, so are some of our traditions on Memorial Day. One of the more distinct traditions is the placing of lei upon every gravesite within Punchbowl for Memorial Day. Every year the members of the community work together to make 38,000 lei for every service member laid to rest at the cemetery. You are invited to donate lei (made of fresh flowers/ti leaf, measuring 20-22 inches untied, please tie), lei flowers … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: Help Sew 38,000 Lei for Memorial Day
Oʻahu: Pūowaina aka “Punchbowl” (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific)
Called Pūowaina in Hawaiian, the volcano erupted some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. Pūowaina (which can be translated as “Hill of Sacrifice”) has deep religious significance for the Hawaiian people. Long before Europeans arrived, it was a place where people who had committed certain crimes or “kapu” were put to death. The lava formed an oval, bowl-shaped crater, alluding to the English name, "punchbowl". Today, the site is commonly referred to as … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: Pūowaina aka “Punchbowl” (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific)
Free comic book days in the Hawaiian Islands
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) celebrates independent specialty shops selling comic books and related products. On FCBD, you can get a free comic book from well-known publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Yep! Stories give away comic books--absolutely free--to anyone who comes into their shops. Each comic book specialty shop is unique, with a style and personality all its own. Each shop typically carries comic books, graphic novels, and related … [Read more...] about Free comic book days in the Hawaiian Islands
Free things to do in May
Listed below are the free things to do in May. For all events on our calendar, free and paid, visit our May events calendar (hawaiionthecheap.com) Calendar of free things to do in May Featured Events are list first each day, highlighted by a photo. Featured events are unique or annual events that we or our advertisers don’t want you to overlook. … [Read more...] about Free things to do in May
Best things to buy in May
Every month of the year, certain items are discounted due to overstock, holiday sales, or transitions from one season to the next. Here are the shopping highlights for May in Hawai’i stores. Of course, we think the best way to save money is not to spend it! But, when you need or want to, plan your spending to take advantage of the times of the year when what you buy is at the lowest possible price. Special events with shopping discounts and deals in May include … [Read more...] about Best things to buy in May
Affordable May events and entertainment
Our May events calendar offers a wide variety of affordable entertainment across the Hawaiian Islands. We’ll continue to update this calendar throughout the month as many organizers announce new events. As always, we focus on “cheap” things to do with a kamaʻāina adult ticket price of $15 or less or a regular price of $25 or less. Sometimes we suggest events with higher ticket prices that we feel might be worth a splurge, mostly local music, film, and arts … [Read more...] about Affordable May events and entertainment
Budget-friendly Mother’s Day brunch and dinner ideas
Here are our recommendations for budget friendly Mother's Day dining across the Hawaiian Islands. There are options for dine-in, takeout, and homemade. Reservations (dine-in or takeout) are strongly suggested if available. Motherʻs Day dining ideas across the Hawaiian Islands We focus on locally owned and national chain restaurants offering budget-friendly specials for Mother's Day. (Listed by island, then alphabetically by city or neighborhood, then by … [Read more...] about Budget-friendly Mother’s Day brunch and dinner ideas
Easter egg hunts around Hawaiʻi
Like Christmas, Easter is a Christian holy day that has also become a secular holiday celebrated by retailers and non-Christian communities around the world. Secular Easter events typically include photos with a life-size Easter bunny, spring flower bouquets, special holiday baked goods, family gatherings with lots of food, and Easter egg hunts. In the list below, we focus on Easter egg hunts that are free or low cost or are community fundraisers. Tips for … [Read more...] about Easter egg hunts around Hawaiʻi
Where to get Easter bunny photos
The Easter Bunny's in town! Hop in to have a photo taken. Listed below are places to get a professional photo as well as any BYOC (bring your own camera) and free appearances with the EB. While Easter is a Christian holy day, it has also become a secular spring holiday celebrated by retailers and non-Christians around the world with spring flower bouquets, special holiday baked goods, and family gatherings with lots of food, along with photos with life-size … [Read more...] about Where to get Easter bunny photos
37 onolicious local and Hawaiian foods
Local food in Hawaiʻi is influenced by several different things, including “canoe plants” brought by sea voyaging Polynesian explorers to the Hawaiian paeʻāina (island group), followed hundreds of years later by many other dishes introduced by immigrants who arrived to work on the sugar and pineapple plantations. These culinary influencers were Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Portuguese peoples, along with other cultures. Traditional Hawaiian food The three … [Read more...] about 37 onolicious local and Hawaiian foods
Tools to recognize, avoid, and report SSA scams
National “Slam the Scam” Day is designated by Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General to raise awareness of government imposter scams, which continue to spread across the United States. Victims shouldn’t be embarrassed if they shared personal information or suffered a financial loss. We are all vulnerable. Slam the Scam Day is Thursday, March 6, 2025, as part of National Consumer Protection Week, which takes place from March 2-8. However, the information … [Read more...] about Tools to recognize, avoid, and report SSA scams
Hōkūleʻa 50th Birthday TV Specials
Polynesians navigated the vast Pacific in double-hulled canoes discovering hundreds of islands, from Tonga and Samoa in the Western Pacific, to Easter Island in the East, and the Hawaiian Islands in the North. Often referred to as The Polynesian Triangle, this vast area covers nearly one million miles of open ocean. It was an astonishing feat, unprecedented to this day. In the 1970s, the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) of Hawai‘i built a 60-foot double-hulled … [Read more...] about Hōkūleʻa 50th Birthday TV Specials
Best bakeries and restaurants to celebrate National Pi Day (3/14)
"Pi", the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (π), is used by mathematicians to define the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Regardless of the size of the circle, pi always calculates to 3.14. Therefore "Pi Day" is celebrated around the world on 3/14 (March 14). Anyone and everyone celebrates the day with a slice of pie, pizza, quiche, piroshki, hand pies, pot pies, or any other pie your heart desires. Unlike Pi, which never ends and the … [Read more...] about Best bakeries and restaurants to celebrate National Pi Day (3/14)
Malasada Day: sweet way to celebrate Mardi Gras in Hawaiʻi
Mardi Gras is a holiday with roots in the Christian calendar. Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It is one last day of overindulgence before the long stretch of Lenten denial. Commonly called Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday"), the holiday is also known as Pancake Day (primarily in the British Isles) and elsewhere as Shrove Tuesday. "Shrove" is past tense of the verb "shrive", which means to free from guilt or confess one's sins. When is … [Read more...] about Malasada Day: sweet way to celebrate Mardi Gras in Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian hula dance: where to see & learn hula
Here is a very brief introduction to the indigenous Hawaiian dance known as hula. It is intended to give you an appreciation of the history of hula and an overview of its many forms. We include a list of some of the major hula festivals throughout the year across Hawaiʻi, as well as free hula shows and demonstrations held in shopping malls and other locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. What is hula? Hula is a very complex dance form unique to the Hawaiian … [Read more...] about Hawaiian hula dance: where to see & learn hula
Free things to do in March
Listed below are the free things to do in March. For all events on our calendar, free and paid, visit our March events calendar (hawaiionthecheap.com). March 2025 free things to do Featured Events are list first each day, highlighted by a photo. Featured events are unique or annual events that we or our advertisers don’t want you to overlook. … [Read more...] about Free things to do in March
Best things to buy in March
Every month of the year, certain items are discounted due to overstock, holiday sales, or transitions from one season to the next. Here are the shopping highlights for March in Hawai’i stores. Of course, we think the best way to save money is not to spend it! But, when you need or want to, plan your spending to take advantage of the times of the year when what you buy is at the lowest possible price. Special events with shopping discounts and deals in March … [Read more...] about Best things to buy in March
Affordable March events and entertainment
Our March events calendar offers a wide variety of affordable entertainment across the Hawaiian Islands. We’ll continue to update this calendar throughout the month as many organizers announce new events. As always, we focus on “cheap” things to do with a kamaʻāina adult ticket price of $15 or less or a regular price of $25 or less. Sometimes we suggest events with higher ticket prices that we feel might be worth a splurge, mostly local music, film, and arts … [Read more...] about Affordable March events and entertainment
Oʻahu: free Honolulu Festival showcases Hawaii’s Pacific Rim cultures
Since its inception in 2000, the Honolulu Festival has become one of Oahu's premier cultural events. Each spring, the festival attracts thousands of spectators over a 3-day weekend to showcase the many vibrant of cultures in Hawaiʻi and promote peace among all peoples. The Honolulu Festival is composed of several events, including a craft fair, film festival, live entertainment, Bon dances, and a Grand Parade. Performers from around the Pacific Rim come together … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: free Honolulu Festival showcases Hawaii’s Pacific Rim cultures
Oʻahu: Waikīkī SPAM JAM street food festival
Other places in the world celebrate iconic local food, such as garlic, onions, pickles, oysters, mussels, lutefisk, and more. The annual Waikīkī SPAM JAM street festival is Hawaiʻi's answer to an iconic food festival. Introduced in 1937 by Hormel Foods, more SPAM® is consumed per person in Hawaiʻi than in any other state in the U.S. Almost seven million cans of SPAM are eaten every year in Hawaii. What is SPAM? SPAM is a shelf-stable canned meat product. The … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: Waikīkī SPAM JAM street food festival
Hawaiʻi Triennial contemporary visual art exhibition
Hawai‘i Triennial is the state’s largest exhibition of contemporary visual art from Hawai‘i, the Pacific, Asia, and around the world. The exhibition is held every three years in multiple venues (such as museums, galleries, and gardens) across the Hawaiian Pai Aina. Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 The next Hawai‘i Triennial for 15 February – 04 May 2025. Exhibitions will be held and Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and O‘ahu. The theme for Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 (HT25) is ALOHA NŌ, … [Read more...] about Hawaiʻi Triennial contemporary visual art exhibition
Treasured heiau you can visit on every Hawaiian island
Listed below are heiau throughout the Hawaiian Islands that are open to the public. If you don’t know what heiau are, or wonder why you would want to visit these ancient sites, we provide a brief description of their cultural value, followed by tips for visiting these historical treasures to make the most of your time. If you are looking for the “real” Hawai'i, this is a good place to be. What are heiau? Heiau are remnants of sites used in ancient Hawai'i for … [Read more...] about Treasured heiau you can visit on every Hawaiian island
Overview of Hawaiian music styles and instruments
Traditional Hawaiian music is characterized by percussion instruments, chanting, simplicity, and storytelling. As missionaries and immigrants to Hawaiʻi introduced their vocal styles and instruments, Hawaiians adapted each one to create modern forms of music that remain uniquely Hawaiian. Below we offer an introduction to traditional Hawaiian instruments and song styles, followed by modern forms adapted by Hawaiians through the use of string instruments, … [Read more...] about Overview of Hawaiian music styles and instruments
