Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade
December 7 Waikiki
The gaily lit and decorated Cobra and Huey helicopters join the other floats and bands to parade down Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, honoring and paying respect to the Pearl Harbor survivors, our veterans, active duty military and their families.
The Museum will be giving out free “Traveling P-40” magnets to spectators.
The parade takes place on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, December 7, beginning at 6 p.m. from Fort DeRussy Park in Waikiki, and proceeding down Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiolani Park.
Cost: Free
December 7 Waikiki
Who needs chimneys, anyway? Santa will arrive on our shores proudly reindeer-free, rowing his way onto Waikiki beach via an outrigger canoe and then stopping to take pictures in the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort’s lobby.
Cost: Free
Through December 15 Downtown
The first show of the season happens to the be the hilarious Ginger Minj Holiday Extravaganza, where the bawdy belle tells both outrageous (and true!) stories of Christmas past, followed by a duo of Marine Corps Band Toys for Tots nights, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra’s A Very Merry Holiday Pops, the award-winning all-female Na Leo Pilimehana’s Hawaiian Holidays 2019, and finally the Gay Men’s Chorus of Honolulu’s traditional-meets-campy Jazzy Holiday Jam. If you can’t find a performance you like, then your Scrooge side is officially showing.
Cost: Prices vary
December 7 Downtown
The anticipated opening of the Honolulu City Lights will feature a six-hour extravaganza featuring the lighting of the Mayor’s Tree on the Honolulu Hale grand lawn, the unveiling of the employee Christmas tree display and public wreath exhibit in the courtyard, a holiday concert at Sky Gate, and the highly anticipated electric light parade down King Street. You can also expect free photos with Santa in the Mission Memorial Auditorium, and lots of food with a roster of vendors set to include Hawaiian Honey Cones, Shaka Shrimp, Waimanalo Country Farms, and Leonard’s Malasadas. The lights will remain on display through January 1 and you can look for additional special nights throughout the month. Cost: Free
December 15 Downtown
Grab a pair of sneakers and your ugly Christmas attire because it’s time to put the sweat in sweater at the Make-A-Wish 7th Annual Jingle Rock Run. Make your way through downtown beginning at the Honolulu State Capitol Building for a very good cause -- helping local keiki battling serious illnesses by making their wishes come true. Walkers, joggers, runners, strollers, and even pets are invited to participate and there will be activities for little ones, food trucks, and other fun surprises along the way. Cost: $30-$40
A Classic Christmas Date: The Nutcracker
December 15 Town
What better way to celebrate the Holidays than by combining a timeless Nutcracker with the grandeur and elegance of the Hawaiian monarchy? Audiences can anticipate all the traditional holiday dances, but with historical characterizations of Washington Place resident Mary Dominis and Hawaii’s beloved Queen Lili’uokalani. Check it out here
Cost: Prices Vary
Through December 25 Wahiawa
Instead of sifting through pre-cut, mainland-grown trees this year, head down to the island’s Christmas tree farm, where you can skip through fields of a variety of pine trees until you find the perfect pick to tower over your gifts. A Helemano Farms worker will cut down the tree –which might be a Norfolk Pine, Leyland Cypress or other variety – and you can take home your fresh pine with the peace of mind that it won’t brown before Christmas. Check them out here
Cost: Trees start at $50
Ring in the New Year with fireworks -- lots of fireworks
December 31 Multiple locations
Ushering in a new decade is a momentous occasion -- one that requires the snap and sizzle that only a fireworks display can provide. You can likely catch one no matter where you are on the island. Pyrotechnic shows are set to go off (mostly right around midnight but be sure to check the time for the specific show you’re interested in) at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Hilton Hawaiian Village, The Kahala Hotel & Resort, a barge off Kahala Avenue, Four Seasons Resort at Ko Olina, Turtle Bay Resort, and, of course, Waikiki Beach. For the Waikiki display, you can tune into Hawaiian 105 KINE FM to catch some music that’s perfectly choreographed to the fireworks. Cost: Free
Source Lizbeth Scordo@Thrilllist & Others.