SPOTLIGHT: KAUAI
12.2-30: Kauai Festival of Lights. Kauai’s historic county building sets a magical stage for the island’s largest holiday celebration, with live music, Kauai-style decorations and an impressive collection of themed trees. It’s free and open from 6 to 8 p.m. every Friday through Sunday.
www.kauaifestivaloflights.com
HAWAII ISLAND
12.3: Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade. In the upcountry ranch town of Waimea, this homespun parade winds from Church Row to Waimea Park. Highlights include a brigade of lighted trucks and, after the parade, fireside visits with Santa at Parker Ranch Center.
www.waimeatown.org
12.30: Traditional Mochi Pounding. At Akiko’s Buddhist Bed and Breakfast in Wailea, islanders make Japanese rice cakes in the tradition of their ancestors. Visitors can take a turn pounding the glutinous sticky rice for good luck as locals share stories of days gone by.
www.akikosbnb.com
MAUI
12.3-4: Holiday Lighting of the Banyan Tree. Lahaina’s historic banyan is decorated for the holidays with thousands of colored lights. Cookie decorating, face painting, live music and a crafts fair take place throughout each day. The tree will be lit at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 and will stay lit until New Year’s Day.
www.visitlahaina.com
12.7-28: Masters of Hawaiian Music. Every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Napili Kai Beach Resort, entertainer George Kahumoku Jr. serves as master of ceremonies for a show starring revered Hawaii musicians, from deft ukulele players to lyrical falsetto singers.
www.slackkeyshow.com
OAHU
12.8-20: Billabong Pipe Masters. When the winter waves rise up on Oahu’s North Shore, high-profile surfers compete for the title of world’s best, as crowds watch from the sands off Banzai Pipeline. Events take place during days when conditions are biggest and best.
www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com
12.11: Honolulu Marathon. This scenic 26.2-mile footrace starts on Ala Moana Boulevard, winds through Waikiki and past Diamond Head to east Honolulu, then back to Waikiki, with the finish line in Kapiolani Park.
www.honolulumarathon.org
