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.

For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.

January

Kauaian Days, several locations. "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. Mid-January.

Annual Burns Supper, Waimea. 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

4th Annual All Angels Jazz Festival, Lihue. Stop by for some jazz at St. Michael and All Angels Church, 4363 Umi St., Lihue. Call tel. 808/245-3796. Early Feb.

Waimea Town Celebration, Waimea. 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; Weekend after Presidents' Day Weekend.

Captain Cook Fun Run, Waimea. 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, Waimea. 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 (when it's 6pm in New York it's only noon in Hawaii).

Prince Kuhio Celebration of the Arts, Lawai. 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. 808/651-6966 for details.

4th Annual Kauai Orchid and Art Festival, Hanapepe. Come and see the exotic displays of tropical orchids at the Garden Island Orchid Society's Spring Fantasy Orchid Show and view Kauai's top artists' work. Popular contemporary Hawaiian music will be offered along with workshops on various art activities. Downtown Hanapepe, late March. Call tel. 808/335-5944.

April

Annual Royal Paina, Lihue. 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, Lihue. 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, Lihue. 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. Third Saturday in May.

Outrigger Canoe Season, several locations. 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.

June

Annual Taste of Hawaii, Kapaa. The Rotary Club of Kapaa holds its "Ultimate Sunday Brunch" at Smith's Tropical Paradise, 45971 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa, where some 60 different chefs will show their culinary skills. Live music all day. Generally, it's the first Sunday in June. Call tel. 808/783-1407.

Obon Days & Festival, Koloa. This cultural festival honors the dead. Koloa Jodo Mission, 3480 Waikomo Rd., Koloa. Early June. Call tel. 808/742-6735.

King Kamehameha Celebration Ho'olaule'a, several locations. Daylong festivities in Lihue 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, Lihue. 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.

Kauai Concert Association's 3rd Annual Red Clay Jazz Festival, Lihue. This day-long music extravaganza features local, state, and nationally known jazz artists, plus food and beverages at the Performing Arts Center of Kauai Community College, 3-1901 Kaumualii Hwy., Lihue. Late June. Call tel. 808/245-7464.

Annual Hula Exhibition, Lihue. Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani presents an evening of chants, music, and hula at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. The date varies; call tel. 808/335-6466 for information.

Banana Poka Roundup, Kokee State Park. This forest education fair features music, workshops, crafts, children's activities, and exhibits on ridding Kauai's native forests of this invasive weed. Kokee State Park, Mile Marker 15, Kokee Rd., Kehaha. Late June. Call tel. 808/335-9975.

July

21st Annual 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.

Kekaha Town 4th of July Celebration. Kekaha. Family activities with crafts, food booths, cultural displays, entertainment, and music. Faye Ballpark, Kekaha. Call tel. 808/346-2342.

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

Koloa Plantation Days. Koloa and Poipu. 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 a parade and festival in Koloa with entertainment, food, and crafts. Mid-July. Various locations around Koloa and Poipu. Call tel. 808/652-3217.

Obon Dance and Festival, Waimea, Kapaa, Hanapepe, and Lihue. This traditional Japanese cultural festival honors the dead. West Kauai Hongwanji, 4675 Menehune Rd., Waimea, tel. 808/338-1537; Kapaa Jodo Mission, 4524 Hauaala Rd., Kapaa, tel. 808/338-1847; Waimea Higashi Hongwanji Mission, 9554-C Kaumualii Hwy., Waimea, tel. 808/338-1847; West Kaukai Hongwanji,1-3860 Kaumualii Hwy., Hanapepe, tel. 808/338-1537; Lihue Hongwanji, Lihue, tel. 808/245-6262. Late July or early August.

Honoring the Dead: Obon Festival -- The Japanese immigrants who came to Kauai brought their cultural Obon Festival, which honors the departed spirits of those who have died. During the summer months, several Buddhist temples have an Obon Festival, which usually includes dancing and food. They welcome visitors to come to the festivals and encourage people to join in the dancing. The festival has its origins in the story of Buddha's disciple, Mokukren, who used his supernatural powers to see how his deceased mother was doing. He saw she was in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Upset, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha told him to help the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and felt his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.

Participants in the Obon Festival traditionally wear colorful yukata, or light cotton kimonos. Many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival food. The festival ends with Toro Nagashi, or the floating of lanterns. Paper lanterns are illuminated and then floated down rivers symbolically signaling the ancestral spirits' return to the world of the dead. This ceremony usually culminates in a fireworks display.

August

Kauai Music Festival, Lihue. A 4-day celebration of the art of songwriting. Hilton Kauai Beach Resort, 4331 Kauai Beach Dr., Lihue. Late July or early August. tel. 808/634-6237.

9th Annual Kauai Polynesian Festival: Heiva I Kauai Ia Orana Tahiti, Kapaa. 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. Kapaa Beach Park. Early August. Call tel. 808/822-9447.

Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair, Lihue. 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 or visit www.kauaifarmfair.com. Late August.

September

All Woman's Koloa Rodeo, Poipu. The only all-female rodeo in the state features women competing in roping, barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying. CJM Country Stables, a mile past the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Poipu Rd. Call tel. 808/639-0091. End of August or early September.

Aloha Festivals, several locations. 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, several locations. 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.

October

Annual Coconut Festival, several locations. 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, Poipu. 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. 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, Lihue. The best of Hawaii's folk music 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 visit www.slackkeyfestival.com. Mid-November.

Hawaii International Film Festival, several locations. 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, Lihue. 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. First Friday in December.

Holiday Hula Celebration, Lihue. 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. Mid to late December.

Waimea Lighted Christmas Parade, Waimea. Old-fashioned Christmas parade through the tiny town of Waimea. Refreshments and entertainment. Kaumualii Hwy., Waimea. Call tel. 808/337-1005. Usually a week before Christmas.

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