Food festivals in Honolulu worth planning a trip around, by month.
Food festivals in Honolulu worth planning a trip around, by month.
Hawaii Food and Wine Festival is the canonical Honolulu food festival that runs three weekends across Oahu, Maui and the Big Island every October with James Beard chefs and Hawaii Regional kitchens.
Focus: Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, James Beard chefs
Tip: Buy event-specific tickets at hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com; the Oahu weekend at the Sheraton Waikiki sells out first.
The Waikiki Spam Jam in Honolulu is the canonical Saturday-in-April Spam street festival along Kalakaua Avenue, drawing 40,000 attendees yearly with restaurant booths and a Hormel-sponsored drone show.
Focus: Spam-themed dishes from Waikiki restaurants
Tip: Free admission. Buy food and merchandise from vendors. Spam-centric restaurant menus run April 19 to May 4.
Honolulu Restaurant Week is the November prix fixe celebration across more than 60 Oahu restaurants in Honolulu, presented by Honolulu Magazine with two- and three-course set menus.
Focus: Prix fixe menus across Oahu
Tip: Reservations open in late October on OpenTable; the higher-end rooms sell out by Halloween.
Eat the Street Hawaii is Honolulu's longest-running monthly food truck rally, held the last Friday of every month behind Restaurant Row in Kakaako with 40-plus rotating food trucks.
Focus: Food truck rally, 40-plus vendors
Tip: Last Friday monthly, 16:00 to 21:00. Free entry; cash and card both work at most trucks.