Calendar of Events

As with any schedule of upcoming events, the following information is subject to change; always confirm details and dates before you plan your schedule around an event.

January

Kauaian Days. "Celebrating our Unity, While Honoring our Diversity" is the theme of this weeklong festival at various locations around the island. Included in the events are entertainment, Hawaiian games for children, sporting events, workshops, dinners, and cultural festivities. Call tel. 808/338-0111.

Annual Burns Supper. This is a birthday celebration of Scotland's most acclaimed poet, Robert Burns, on the grounds of Waimea Plantation Cottages. The Burns Supper celebrates this special man with food, Burns's poetry, and music. A fabulous dinner under the palms follows the pipes and drums. Call tel. 808/652-0616. Late January or early February at the Waimea Plantation Cottages.

February

Waimea Town Celebration, Waimea, Kauai. This annual party on Kauai's west side celebrates the Hawaiian and multiethnic history of the town where Captain Cook first landed. This is the island's biggest 2-day event, drawing some 10,000 people. Top Hawaiian entertainers, sporting events, rodeo, and lots of food are on tap during the weekend celebration. Call tel. 808/337-1005; www.wkbpa.org/events.html. Weekend after Presidents' Day Weekend.

Captain Cook Fun Run. The 2-, 5-, and 10K runs, with a starting time of 7am, go through the old plantation town of Waimea. Call tel. 808/338-1332. End of February.

Kilohana Long-Distance Canoe Race. Traditional Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Racing along the Waimea shoreline is the first event of the Kauai canoe-racing season. Starting times for the races Saturday morning are 8am for single-person canoes, 9am for women, and 10:30am for men. The finish is around noon. Call tel. 808/338-1332. End of February.

March

Note: Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March on the Mainland but NOT in Hawaii. Be sure to adjust the time. Starting at 2am, Hawaii is 3 hours behind Pacific Time and 6 hours behind the East Coast (6pm in New York is only noon in Hawaii).

Annual Family Ocean Fair. Daylong festivities include live entertainment, lectures, games, food, and demonstrations at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge. Free admission. Call tel. 808/246-2860.

Prince Kuhio Celebration of the Arts. Celebrate the birth of Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, who was born on March 26, 1871, and elected to Congress in 1902. Kauai, his birthplace, starts the celebration at the memorial at Prince Kuhio Park in Lawai, and continues it with daylong festivities. Call tel. 808/240-6369 for details.

April

Annual Royal Paina. The Kauai Historical Society presents its annual celebration of Hawaii's multiethnic heritage, with local entertainment and a great meal at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club. Call tel. 808/245-3373. End of April.

May

Kauai Museum Lei Day Celebrations. May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, celebrated with lei-making contests, pageantry, arts, and crafts. Call tel. 808/245-6931 for Kauai events.

Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk. Hawaii's largest single-day fundraiser, which takes place across the state, consists of a 3 1/4-mile fun walk (with some ambitious runners at the front of the pack). Beginning at the Kukui Grove Pavilion, the walk raises money for local charities. Call tel. 808/923-0404 or visit www.charitywalk.org.

Outrigger Canoe Season. From May to September, nearly every weekend, canoe paddlers across the state participate in outrigger canoe races. Call tel. 808/261-6615, or go to www.y2kanu.com for this year's schedule of events.

Banana Poka Roundup. This forest education fair features music, workshops, crafts, children's activities, and exhibits on ridding Kauai's native forests of this invasive weed. Call tel. 808/335-9975.

Kauai Music Festival. A 4-day celebration of the art of songwriting with seminars, lectures, panel discussions, and concerts. America's top song writers perform and teach. Call tel. 808/634-6237.

Kauai Polynesian Festival. A 4-day festival with a pageant, dinners, entertainment, crafts, seminars, dance competitions, and more. Call tel. 808/335-6466.

June

Annual Taste of Hawaii. The Rotary Club of Kapaa holds its "Ultimate Sunday Brunch" at Smith's Tropical Paradise, where some 60 different chefs will show their culinary skills. Live music all day. Generally, it's the first Sunday in June. Call tel. 808/245-2903.

King Kamehameha Celebration Ho'olaule'a. Daylong festivities in Lihue will feature entertainment, arts and crafts, and food. Call tel. 808/586-0333; www.hawaii.gov/dags/king_kamehameha_commission. Mid-June.

Garden Isle Artisan Faire. Come browse through the array of handicrafts, products, and art by Kauai's artists in Lihue. There's Hawaiian music all day, and plenty of food to buy. Call tel. 808/586-0333. Mid-June.

Annual Canoe Surfing Challenge. In front of the Sheraton Kauai and Kiahuna Plantation, teams of four-person canoes compete for prizes. Call tel. 808/634-5084.

Annual Hula Exhibition. Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani presents an evening of chants, music, and hula at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. Call tel. 808/335-6466.

July

Concert in the Sky. Fourth of July fundraiser for Kauai Hospice at the Vidinha Stadium, Lihue. Concert and fireworks. For more information, call tel. 808/245-7277.

Koloa Plantation Days. This is a weeklong tribute to Kauai's plantation heritage, with events like the Sunset Ho'olaule'a, Paniolo Rodeo, Plantation Tennis Tournament, Hapa Road Walk, Hawaiian Olympics, Golf Putting Tournament, Craft Faire, ethnic cooking demonstrations, and more. The grand finale on July 31 features a parade and festival in Koloa with entertainment, food, and crafts. Call tel. 808/822-0734 or go to www.koloaplantationdays.com.

August

Kauai Polynesian Festival. This 2-day event features the dances of Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa in a competition, as well as exhibitions and educational cultural workshops plus local foods, arts, and crafts. Call tel. 808/822-9447. Early August.

Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair. This family-oriented fair, held at the Vidinha Stadium in Lihue, features a petting zoo, a livestock show, floral demonstrations and exhibits, food booths, and arts and crafts, along with amusement park rides. Call tel. 808/639-8432.

September

Aloha Festivals. Parades and other events celebrate Hawaiian culture and friendliness throughout the island. Call tel. 800/852-7690, or visit www.alohafestivals.com for a schedule of events.

Kauai Mokihana Festival. This weeklong festival includes local and ethnic demonstrations, concerts, and competitions, among them a Kauai composers' contest, a hula competition, and a workshop on Kauai's heritage. Call tel. 808/822-2166.

All Woman's Koloa Rodeo. The only all-female rodeo in the state features women competing in roping, barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying. Call tel. 808/639-0091. End of August or early September.

October

Annual Coconut Festival. Where would Hawaii be without coconuts? This annual event highlights the cultural, social, and historical importance of the coconut, with unusual coconut foods, coconut crafts, games with coconuts, and contests. Call tel. 808/651-3273.

Hawaiiana Festival. This 4-day event is centered on teaching the customs, crafts, and culture of Hawaii. Held at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, it includes entertainment and a luau. For information call tel. 808/240-6369.

Eo E Emalani Festival, Kokee State Park, Kauai. This festival honors Her Majesty Queen Emma, an inveterate gardener and Hawaii's first environmental queen, who made a forest trek to Kokee with 100 friends in 1871. Call tel. 808/335-9975.

November

Note: Daylight saving time ends on the Mainland, but NOT in Hawaii (which does not go on daylight saving time). Be sure to adjust the time, on the first Sunday in November. Hawaii will be 2 hours behind the Pacific coast and 5 hours behind the Atlantic coast (5pm in New York is noon in Hawaii).

Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival. The best of Hawaii's folk music (slack-key guitar) is performed by the best musicians in Hawaii. The show, held at the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort, is 5 hours long and absolutely free. For more information call tel. 808/226-2697 or e-mail kahokuproductions@yahoo.com.

Hawaii International Film Festival. This cinema festival with a cross-cultural spin features filmmakers from Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the United States. Call tel. 808/528-FILM, or visit www.hiff.org. First 2 weeks in November.

December

Annual Festival of Lights. The lighting of the Christmas decorations on the grounds of Kauai's historic county building in Lihue is accompanied by local entertainment, Christmas caroling, and a parade down Rice Street, ending at the county building. Call tel. 808/828-0014.

Holiday Hula Celebration. A Hawaiian Christmas performance by Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani includes chants, hula, and Christmas melodies at the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club. Call tel. 808/335-6466.

New Year's Eve Fireworks. Come out for the annual aerial fireworks display at Poipu Beach Park. For more information, e-mail info@poipu-beach.org.