Featured Events in Honolulu in May 2025 (May Updated)

Welcome to YWCA Oahu's 48th Annual LeaderLuncheon ! Join us for a day of inspiration and empowerment at the beautiful Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort . LeaderLuncheon is YWCA Oahu’s annual celebration which focuses on the profound impact women make, not only on this community, but throughout the world. This year, YWCA Oahu recognizes the following four exemplary women leaders: Momi Akimseu, Brand & Integrated Marketing, Senior Vice President | Director of Brand, Bank of Hawai‘i Elisia Flores, Chief Executive Officer, L&L Franchise, Inc. Michelle Ka‘uhane, Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Hawai‘i Community Foundation Kristi Inkinen Yanagihara, Owner, Remedy Intelligent Staffing In addition to recognizing the achievements of the four women leaders, the 2025 LeaderLuncheon will also commemorate YWCA Oahu’s 125th Anniversary of empowering Hawaii’s women through opportunities for growth, leadership, and transformative change. NOTE: If registering 3 or more attendees, please email Brittany Montilliano at bmontilliano@ywcaoahu.org. Information Source: YWCA Oahu | eventbrite

Join us at the Ko Olina Children’s Festival on Saturday, May 10, 2025, for an afternoon filled with family-friendly entertainment, interactive activities, educational programs, ocean sustainability booths, ono food, and live performances, ending the day with a sunset movie screening. This annual event benefits Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, supporting critical healthcare services for Hawaii’s keiki. Information Source: Ko Olina | eventbrite

Mothers Day 2025 Come celebrate the special women in your life at our Mothers Day 2025 event! Join us at 41-741 Mahailua Street for a day filled with love, laughter, and appreciation for all the amazing mothers out there. Show your mom how much she means to you with a day she won't forget. Let's make this Mothers Day one to remember! Information Source: Voodoo Plants | eventbrite

Queen’s Jubilee Mother’s Day Celebration Join us at ‘Alohilani Resort for an elegant Mother’s Day celebration fit for royalty. The Queen’s Jubilee honors the queens in our lives with sophisticated Sunday Brunch including live entertainment and exquisite dining. Indulge in a specially curated menu, and a mimosa for all moms. Treat the special women in your life to an elevated mothers day experience, where every moment is designed to celebrate their grace, strength, and love. Featuring music by ​Ben Kama, a four-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominee, renowned for his soulful vocals and exceptional ukulele skills. The event also includes a raffle of prizes that range from nightly stays at 'Alohilani to dining gift certificates and door prizes too. And a pop-up makeke featuring over a dozen of local artisans for those last minute mothers day gifts. Tickets are $125 per Adult, $65 per Keiki VIP Tables of 10 are available for $1700 VIP Tables include: Premium Seating, Bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, Charcuterie Platter Reserve your seat or table and make this Mother’s Day truly unforgettable. Information Source: 'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach | eventbrite

The AUSA LANPAC Symposium & Exposition 2025 is set to be a pivotal gathering for military professionals and defense industry leaders, taking place from May 13 to May 15 at the prestigious Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. This esteemed event serves as a crucial platform for discussing land power in the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together experts from around the globe to explore strategic challenges and opportunities. With its breathtaking location in the heart of Honolulu, attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage in high-level discussions and networking sessions, all while enjoying the serene backdrop of Hawaii's stunning landscapes. The symposium promises a comprehensive agenda, featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, and exhibitions showcasing cutting-edge technologies and innovations in defense. As the AUSA LANPAC Symposium & Exposition 2025 approaches, anticipation builds for an event that not only fosters collaboration but also drives forward-thinking solutions in the realm of land power and security.

Join Guy Kawasaki as he shares lessons from decades of experience shaping some of the world’s most innovative brands. In this talk, he’ll explore how leadership starts with mindset and grows through community—highlighting the importance of spaces like the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, where collaboration sparks bold ideas. Whether you're building your career, your network, or your next big idea, this is your chance to learn how to lead with purpose and impact. This event is presented in collaboration with the College of Engineering, ThriveHI, and the CIO Council of Hawaii. About the Speaker Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, host of the Remarkable People podcast, author of Wiser Guy , Think Remarkable , and sixteen other books, and adjunct professor of UC Santa Cruz. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, and brand ambassador of Mercedes-Benz. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. Information Source: Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) | eventbrite

We invite you to our AFCEA Hawaii May Luncheon at Tradewinds, where we are hosting a Chief Data Officer (CDO) Panel featuring Dr. Carlos Ortiz (INDOPACOM Chief Data Officer) and Mr. Ray Pia (PACAF Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer). Information Source: AFCEA Hawaii | eventbrite

The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts (CEAC) and the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center are pleased to present the Equitable and Sustainable Futures Speaker Series . Five public programs are scheduled through May 2025 to build pilina (connection and collaboration) between stakeholders across the justice system. Through engaging public discussions, this series seeks to drive critical change in law, policy, and institutional practices to improve public awareness, safety, and wellbeing. The series is cosponsored by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association Civic Education Committee. Program 5 of 5-Part Series Perspectives on Reform: Building a Trauma-Informed Justice System in Hawaiʻi Thursday, May 15, 2025 Aliʻiōlani Hale, Supreme Court 5:30-7:30 PM (HST) The development of a trauma-informed justice system in Hawaiʻi is increasingly advocated for as a vital step toward healing individual trauma and sustaining long-term community wellbeing. This panel discussion brings together experts from Hawaiʻi’s legal system, public health sector, Native Hawaiian healing traditions, and restorative justice initiatives. Together, they will examine how trauma intersects with justice and explore practical, culturally grounded approaches for creating a more responsive and compassionate justice system in Hawaiʻi. This programming series is a follow-up to CEAC’s Racial Equity Speaker Series that occurred virtually between January and May 2021 ( access recordings here ). Access CEAC's 2025 Speaker Series recordings HERE. Information Source: The King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center and the HSBA Civic Education Committee | eventbrite

A special fundraising concert for the Kanile‘a ‘Ukulele Hawaiian Music Scholarship at Windward CC. Award winning group Kapena, Kamuela Kimokeo, and WCC Students will be performing in a concert at Palikū Theatre on May 15th from 7:00 to 9:15 p.m. All proceeds from the concert will be used to provide scholarships for music students at Windward Community College. Information Source: Windward Community College | eventbrite

ABOUT At this intimate Live from the Atherton event, two Native Hawaiian short story writers discuss the beauty, challenges, and possibilities of the short story form. How does a writer balance concision and expansion? What makes for memorable characters? And how can the short story form address our contemporary moment in Hawai‘i? Kakimoto and Kahakauwila will offer brief readings from their work, engage in conversation, and welcome questions from the audience, before concluding with a book signing. This event offers the opportunity to engage with the poetics of Hawaiʻi’s past and present. All Live from the Atherton events are filmed, recorded and photographed for future broadcasts and online content. About Megan Kamalei Kakimoto: Megan Kamalei Kakimoto is the Kanaka Maoli author of the story collection Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare(Bloomsbury 2023), a USA Today national bestseller. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Granta, Joyland, and elsewhere. Named a Fall 2023 “Writer to Watch” by Publisher’s Weekly, she has received the “Author Under 35” Award by the HONOLULU Book Awards and has been a finalist for the Keene Prize for Literature. Her work has been supported by the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Tin House Winter Workshop. She received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers and is an Affiliate Faculty in Fiction at Antioch University Los Angeles and a Lecturer in English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A Fiction Editor for No Tokens journal, she lives in Honolulu. Engage with Megan: Instagram @megankkakimoto Bluesky @megankkakimoto.bsky.social About Kristiana Kahakauwila: Kristiana Kahakauwila is a Kanaka Maoli writer known for her award-winning books This Is Paradise: Stories and Clairboyance, a novel for middle-grade readers. Recently, Clairboyance was selected as a 2025 Honor Book for Children’s Literature by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. Kristiana earned a BA in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. She has held faculty positions at Western Washington University, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and Chaminade University of Honolulu, and she was a Lisa Goldberg Fellow at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study. Since 2020, she has taught in the Department of English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where she directs the creative writing program. Engage with Kristiana: Instagram @kkahakauwila Live From the Atherto n is Hawai‘i Public Radio’s new flagship multimedia series, featuring music performances, authors and other creative, original thinkers at our Atherton Studio. Throughout 2025, Hawai'i Public Radio will host ticketed events that feature a range of music, from Hawaiian, classical, jazz and indie, as well as authors and speakers across genres including fiction, young adult, keiki and Hawaiian history. ========================================= The Live from the Atherton Author Series takes place on select Thursday evenings at the Atherton Performing Arts studio at Hawaiʻi Public Radio. The author series events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Doors open thirty minutes before the event starts. This event will be filmed, recorded and photographed. Your presence constitutes your release of all rights to your recorded voice and image, which may be used in projects by Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis — advance ticket purchase is strongly suggested. General admission tickets are $20. 100% of the proceeds from each event support the featured artists. Ticket Policy: Ticket sales are final. Sorry, no refunds. Parking: Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood (metered parking is free after 6 p.m.). Mahalo to HMSA for their sponsorship of our HPR “Live from the Atherton” events. ========================================= HPR exists to serve the people of Hawai’i. We are a trusted, community-funded public service that informs with essential news, inspires through the power of music and the arts, and connects people through conversations and convenings. See the latest in news, talk, and entertainment at hawaiipublicradio.org Feeling social? Follow us on Facebook Find us on Instagram Watch our past Atherton Concerts Subscribe to our newsletters When you purchase HPR event tickets, you are opting in to receive HPR’s email newsletters. You may update your subscription preferences or unsubscribe using the links at the bottom of our emails. Listen on demand to our programs at hawaiipublicradio.org or listen to our live stream by asking your smart speaker to "Play Hawaiʻi Public Radio" Love what we do? Become a monthly supporter. Make a gift today. Or, volunteer with us. Learn more. Look for more “Live from the Atherton” events, with thanks to our sponsor HMSA. Get the latest news when you subscribe to our newsletters . = ======================================== People with COVID-19 symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should stay home. People may choose to mask at any time. More information and resources can be found at https://covid.cdc.gov/ Information Source: Hawai‘i Public Radio | eventbrite

Join us for a night of celebration filled with entertainment, dinner, giveaways, and more—all to a "Let the Good Times Roll" theme! HMSA Employees' FCU Member Mahalo Dinner Ala Moana Hotel - Hibiscus Ballroom Saturday, May 17, 2025 Doors open at 5:00 PM Event starts at 6:00 PM Tickets are on sale as follows: Members: $25 Non-Members: $40 **Must be a HMSA EFCU Member to purchase tickets, limited to a member and one guest each. This is a private event with limited space. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The HMSA EFCU dinner committee will assign seating.** Parking Fees: With a validated banquet, event self-parking is $10.00, and valet parking is $35.00. Theme Contests, including at least the following: Dance contests: Swing contest, Twisting contest, Cha Cha contest, Limbo Rock contest Costume contests: Best female, Best male Hotel Rooms : Kama’aina Rates are the best available rates for Ala Moana Hotel for event guests interested in staying the night. Stay tuned for more information. Information Source: Hawaii State Federal Credit Union | eventbrite

Lyon is happy to offer this very popular class once again! The Hawaii VINE project is a long-term research study focused on seed dispersal networks across O‘ahu. As part of our work, we collect biological data from birds. Participants will be able to observer essential field techniques in ornithology such as mist netting and banding. Participants will observe the practical skills while learning about O‘ahu’s native bird species and the ongoing scientific efforts to conserve their habitats. Instructors: The VINE crew is a group of biologists who double as bird enthusiasts! We are from various states on the mainland including Colorado, Texas, New Hampshire, Florida, and Nebraska. We range in years of experience but have all dedicated our careers to field work to conserve wildlife. Part of our passion is to share and educate on birds and conservation, so, we are thrilled to be able to offer a hands-on experience. We know how important it is to be able to learn science in real time and can't wait to share our work with the students! What to wear/bring: Comfortable, closed-toe shoes with good traction (required) You should be prepared to walk on uneven terrain. Long pants (to keep mosquitoes off. Optional: a light jacket or long-sleeved outer shirt.) Bug Spray (optional but recommended) Rain jacket or poncho Water bottle (optional but recommended) The class will be held indoors and outdoors. Proceeds from this class go to the Lyon Arboretum Education Department. Deadline for refunds: May 14th , 2025. Tickets purchased on March 12th cannot be refunded. Fees cannot be transferred to other classes. ***This class is co-sponsored by the Friends of Lyon Arboretum (FLA). FLA members receive a 20% discount on this workshop and other Lyon Arboretum Education Department classes/workshops. If you are a member, an email will be sent out prior to the opening of class registration with a discount code. Please contact us by email at info@friendsoflyon.org if you have not received your registration discount code. To learn more about the Friends of Lyon Arboretum and to become a member, please see our website.*** For questions about the class content or logistics, please call Lyon Arboretum at (808) 988-0456 or email lyonedu@hawaii.edu. For questions about ticketing, please call and leave a message for Friends of Lyon Arboretum at (808) 988-0464 or email info@friendsoflyon.org. Information Source: Lyon Arboretum Education Department | eventbrite

Join the City and County of Honolulu's Resilience Office for our second Better Buildings Benchmarking Training of the season! This training is being held online May 21st from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm , and will help Oʻahu building owners and property managers ensure compliance with Ordinance 22-17 . The training agenda will include helpful background information on the benchmarking program, how to use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and next steps to saving energy on your utility bills! Follow along on your own Portfolio Manager account or watch live as an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager expert go through a step by step demo that covers everything from your building details, to uploading utility data, to responding to a data request from the City. Learn more about benchmarking at resilientoahu.org/benchmarking . Bring your laptop! Tentative Agenda: 12:00 PM: Better Buildings Benchmarking Introduction 12:20 PM: Live Demo of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager 1:05 PM: Benchmarking and Beyond 1:15 PM: Question and Answer 1:30 PM: PAU! Information Source: City and County of Honolulu Resilience Office | eventbrite

Information Source: Chris Okamura | eventbrite

Information Source: Chaminade University of Honolulu | eventbrite

ABOUT At this intimate Live from the Atherton event, Brandy Nālani McDougall and Kai Gaspar will use their creative works as a springboard to talk about joy, artistic inspirations, creative processes, and more. The pair are also eager to engage with those in attendance through Q & A. Kai and Brandy often refer to themselves as "literary siblings," both being country kids who moved to the city (Honolulu) where they studied and worked together under the tutelage of poet and writer Albert Wendt. Kai's book Ulu and Brandy's most recent book 'Āina Hanau, Birth Land were both published in 2023 and the two were recently praised in the same New York Times article. This event offers the opportunity to engage with the poetics of Hawaiʻi’s past and present. All Live from the Atherton events are filmed, recorded and photographed for future broadcasts and online content. About Kai Gaspar: Kai Gaspar is a Kanaka ‘Ōiwi poet and teacher whose works have been published in Mauri Ola Contemporary Poems in English / Whetu Moana II, Hawai‘i Review, Tinfish, Yellow Medicine Review, and elsewhere. Kai learned to read by kerosene lamps on the shore of Hōnaunau, graduated from Kapi‘olani Community College, then earned a PhD at UH Mānoa. Ulu is Kai’s full-length debut. Kai was recently profiled by FLUX Hawai'i, Honolulu Magazine, and THRoB (The Hawai'i Review of Books). About Brandy Nālani McDougall: From the ahupuaʻa of Aʻapueo in Kula, Maui, Brandy Nālani McDougall (Kanaka ʻŌiwi, she/her/ʻo ia) is the author of two poetry collections, The Salt-Wind, Ka Makani Paʻakai (2008) and ʻĀina Hānau, Birth Land (2023). A Ford and Mellon-Hawaiʻi fellow, her critical monograph Finding Meaning: Kaona and Contemporary Hawaiian Literature (University of Arizona Press, 2016) is the first extensive study of contemporary Hawaiian literature and was the winner of the Beatrice Medicine Award in 2017. She is the director of the Mānoa Center for Humanities and Civic Engagement and an Associate Professor of American Studies (specializing in Indigenous studies) at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She is the Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate for 2023–2025. She lives with her keiki in Kalaepōhaku, Honolulu, in the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī on Oʻahu. Live From the Atherto n is Hawai‘i Public Radio’s new flagship multimedia series, featuring music performances, authors and other creative, original thinkers at our Atherton Studio. Throughout 2025, Hawai'i Public Radio will host ticketed events that feature a range of music, from Hawaiian, classical, jazz and indie, as well as authors and speakers across genres including fiction, young adult, keiki and Hawaiian history. ========================================= The Live from the Atherton Author Series takes place on select Thursday evenings at the Atherton Performing Arts studio at Hawaiʻi Public Radio. The author series events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Doors open thirty minutes before the event starts. This event will be filmed, recorded and photographed. Your presence constitutes your release of all rights to your recorded voice and image, which may be used in projects by Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis — advance ticket purchase is strongly suggested. General admission tickets are $20. 100% of the proceeds from each event support the featured artists. Ticket Policy: Ticket sales are final. Sorry, no refunds. Parking: Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood (metered parking is free after 6 p.m.). Mahalo to HMSA for their sponsorship of our HPR “Live from the Atherton” events. ========================================= HPR exists to serve the people of Hawai’i. We are a trusted, community-funded public service that informs with essential news, inspires through the power of music and the arts, and connects people through conversations and convenings. See the latest in news, talk, and entertainment at hawaiipublicradio.org Feeling social? Follow us on Facebook Find us on Instagram Watch our past Atherton Concerts Subscribe to our newsletters When you purchase HPR event tickets, you are opting in to receive HPR’s email newsletters. You may update your subscription preferences or unsubscribe using the links at the bottom of our emails. Listen on demand to our programs at hawaiipublicradio.org or listen to our live stream by asking your smart speaker to "Play Hawaiʻi Public Radio" Love what we do? Become a monthly supporter. Make a gift today. Or, volunteer with us. Learn more. Look for more “Live from the Atherton” events, with thanks to our sponsor HMSA. Get the latest news when you subscribe to our newsletters . = ======================================== People with COVID-19 symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should stay home. People may choose to mask at any time. More information and resources can be found at https://covid.cdc.gov/ Information Source: Hawai‘i Public Radio | eventbrite

A Constitution in the Making: Power. Reform. And the Road to 1978 Thursday May 22, 2025 5:30-7:30 PM (HST) Aliʻiōlani Hale, Supreme Court 417 S King Street A panel featuring   TOM COFFMAN   BARBARA MARUMOTO GERALD SUMIDA   RICHARD BORRECA  With moderator Colin Moore Information Source: King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center | eventbrite