Honolulu City Lights have returned after a two-year hiatus due to limitations from the pandemic. Shaka Santa and Tūtū Mele bring their holiday cheer back to Honolulu Hale along South King Street. Opening night on December 3rd featured festivities including the tree lighting ceremony, an electric light parade performed from Chinatown to Honolulu Hale, plus a block party with food and entertainment vendors.

Honolulu City Lights tree exhibit is open daily from7:45 am – 10:00 pm, throughout the holidays. This popular exhibit brings both foot traffic and vehicles driving by to enjoy the city lights.

Honolulu City Lights at Honolulu Hale is located at 530 South King Street, on the edge of Downtown and Makiki/Kakaako.

Got plans for the weekend? Honolulu’s beloved Okinawan Festival returns to the Hawaii Convention Center for its 40th year. Come to enjoy your deep-fried andagi, savory oki-dog, and beloved champuru plates, and stay for the entertainment, local vendors, and Saturday evening’s Bon Dance.

Celebrate on Saturday, September 3rd and Sunday, September 4th, with early admissions starting at 9AM. General admissions open at 10AM. Early admissions for adults is $15, with general admissions at $10. Seniors get a discount at $10 for early admissions, and $5 for general. Children 12 and under enter for free.

There’s no admissions fee for the 3rd-floor vendors where you can find specialty foods, original arts and crafts, explore Okinawan culture, and more.

Honolulu’s much-debated elevated light metro rail system has begun its “Trial Running” phase, per Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit‘s (HART) press release. Considered the final set of tests prior to launching the service, this phase will test all systems including train cars, rail stations, and personnel, over a period of weeks.

Per the press release, multiple cars will be running between Kapolei and Aloha Stadium, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Testing is expected to continue until operations are deemed ready for public service. It may be a welcome sight for drivers to see train cars moving on the billion-dollar rail project, but officials urge commuters to keep their eyes on the road, and not at the train cars.

The final station east-bound has been a hot topic among residents, where many feel the ridership will suffer greatly if the system isn’t fully-built to Ala Moana Center or even University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus. Federal rail funding will likely play into the final result of the system, though officials have said it may be extendable in the future with additional funds.