This calendar lists Kauaʻi’s weekly, monthly and annual events. Most of the weekly ones are hula shows and live music at shopping centers, and on Friday evenings the galleries in Hanapēpē open for the town’s art night.
Use it before your trip to plan around a festival, or after you land to see what’s on this week. The map shows where each event is, over the next 30 days or in any month you pick. We recheck the listings every month, but confirm the date with the organizer before you book flights around an event. Farmers markets, with their days and hours, are on our Kauaʻi farmers markets page.
Table of contents
Kauaʻi events map
Every event on this page is on the map, so you can see which ones are near where you are staying. It opens on the next 30 days with weekly and annual events both showing. Pick a month to see the weekly events that run during your trip, and turn on Annual events to add that month's festivals. Tap a pin for the dates, then the event's name to jump to its full listing.
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Kauaʻi events month by month
Every annual event on our list appears under the month it falls in, starting with this month. An event with a confirmed date shows it; the rest read “Usually” with the time of year from past editions until the organizer publishes the next dates. An event that runs into a second month is listed in both.
October 2026 events
Kauaʻi Matsuri Festival
Held Oct 9–10, 2026
The Kauaʻi Japanese Cultural Society brings taiko, folk dance, a tea ceremony, a mochi-making demonstration, bonsai and a mini bon dance to the Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall. No admission is charged for the Saturday festival.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kauaʻi Chocolate & Coffee Festival
Held Sunday, Oct 18, 2026
Growers, chocolate makers and roasters from around the state set up in the lūʻau pavilion at Kilohana Plantation, with demonstrations and live music. Entry is free. Buy a Tasting Passport in advance to be sure of samples; children under 12 can't buy one but can share a parent's.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab) Our guide
Date confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Rice Street Block Party
Oct 24, 2026
Parts of Rice Street and Kress Street in downtown Līhuʻe close to cars for an afternoon and evening of three stages, more than 100 local vendors and a keiki (children's) play area. Free, from 4 to 8 p.m. Event parking is at Wilcox Elementary School, the Līhuʻe Civic Center and the Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
November 2026 events
Eō e Emalani i Alakaʻi (Emalani Festival)
Nov 7, 2026
A day of hula and ceremony in Kōkeʻe State Park honoring Queen Emma. At 10 a.m. riders portraying the queen, her attendant and her guide Kaluahi arrive on horseback, and performances follow through the afternoon. Entry is free; the paid VIP package adds a shuttle from the Kekaha Neighborhood Center, so you don't have to park in Kōkeʻe, plus covered seating and a meal.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival, Kauaʻi Style
Nov 8, 2026
Twelve to fifteen slack key guitarists take turns on one stage for four hours on a Sunday afternoon at the Outrigger Kauaʻi Beach Resort & Spa. Tickets ran $12 to $25 in 2026.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
December 2026 events
Lights on Rice Parade
Dec 4, 2026
Lit floats roll from Vidinha Stadium along Hoʻolako and Rice streets to the Historic County Building, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free. Rice Street closes from 5:30 p.m., so come early for a curb spot.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Waimea Light Parade
Dec 19, 2026
West Kauaʻi's holiday parade of decorated floats travels down Main Street in Waimea at 6:15 p.m. and ends at Hofgaard Park with a free holiday concert. The Waimea Bridge closes from 5 to 9 p.m.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
February 2027 events
E Kanikapila Kākou
Usually Monday nights, February to late March
Eight weeks of Hawaiian music in a backyard jam format at the Kauaʻi Community College Performing Arts Center, with a different lineup of local musicians or hālau (hula schools) each week. Tickets are required, and a season pass comes with premier seating.
Waimea Town Celebration
Usually eight days starting Valentine's weekend in February
Eight days of concerts, contests and cultural events in Waimea, on Kauaʻi's west side, ending in a two-day hoʻolauleʻa (festival) at the old Waimea mill site. The hoʻolauleʻa concerts were free in 2026; the opening Cocktails & Cuisine night was ticketed.
April 2027 events
Kauaʻi Brewers Festival
Apr 17, 2027
Brewers pour in a beer garden in downtown Līhuʻe, with live bands and food. Entry is ticketed, and you need a physical ID for the beer garden.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kauaʻi ʻUkulele Festival
Usually a Sunday in mid-April
A free Sunday of ʻukulele players at Kukui Grove Center, from well-known names to school bands, with free mall parking.
May 2027 events
May Day Is Lei Day at the Kauaʻi Museum
Usually May 1 (Lei Day), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Kauaʻi Museum shows the entries in its annual lei contest in the museum courtyard in Līhuʻe and auctions them. Admission is free. In 2025 the Kauaʻi Association of Family and Community Education taught lei making for the cost of materials.
Waipā ʻĀina Festival
Usually a Sunday in early May
A Sunday at Halulu Fishpond in Waipā, on Hanalei Bay, with music, food, crafts and hands-on keiki (children's) activities. The Waipā Foundation runs the festival, and the entry fee collected at the gate supports its work.
June 2027 events
Kauaʻi King's Parade & Hoʻolauleʻa
Jun 12, 2027
Līhuʻe's King Kamehameha Day floral parade leaves Vidinha Stadium at 9 a.m. and runs along Rice Street to the Historic County Building, where a hoʻolauleʻa (festival) with food, crafts and entertainment runs on the lawn until 2 p.m. Free.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kauaʻi Bon Dance Season
Usually Friday and Saturday nights in June and July
Kauaʻi's Buddhist temples hold bon dances (Japanese Buddhist festivals honoring ancestors) on summer weekend nights. The 2026 Kauaʻi Buddhist Council season ended July 24 and 25 at West Kauai Hongwanji Mission in Hanapēpē, where food sales opened at 5:30 p.m. and dancing started at 7:30 p.m.
Kauaʻi Pride Parade & Festival
Usually a Saturday in early June
A 10 a.m. parade along Rice Street from Vidinha Stadium to the Historic County Building, followed by music, dance and other entertainment on the County Lawn until 2 p.m.
Taste of Hawaiʻi
Usually the first Sunday in June
The Rotary Club of Kapaʻa's food fundraiser: more than 25 chefs and more than 10 beverage vendors spread across Smith's Tropical Paradise in Wailua on a Sunday afternoon. Tickets cost $165 in advance and $200 at the gate in 2026, with free parking and a free shuttle from Vidinha Stadium.
July 2027 events
Kauaʻi Hospice Concert in the Sky
Usually July 4
A Fourth of July fundraiser for Kauaʻi Hospice at Vidinha Stadium: live music and food vendors through the evening, then fireworks. Gates opened at 3:30 p.m. in 2026.
Kōloa Plantation Days
Usually the second half of July
Ten days of history walks, talks, sports and food events around Kōloa and Poʻipū about the island's sugar era. Most events are free; on the closing Saturday a parade runs through Kōloa town to Anne Knudsen Ballpark, where the park celebration cost $5 in 2026 and was free for children 12 and under.
August 2027 events
Heiva i Kauaʻi
Usually the first weekend of August
A two-day Tahitian dance and drumming competition at Kapaʻa Beach Park, with dancers of all ages competing solo and in groups from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission was $8 a day in 2026, free for children 12 and under.
Koʻolau Limu Festival
Usually a Saturday in mid-August
A free day at Anahola Beach Park about limu (seaweed): tastings, lei making, hula and Tahitian dance, food vendors and conservation education.
September 2027 events
Kauaʻi Marathon & Half Marathon
Sep 5, 2027
A marathon and half marathon that start at 6 a.m. on Poʻipū Road, in front of Poʻipū Shopping Village, and end at oceanfront finish lines in Poʻipū. Spectators can watch for free at the finish.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Dates confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kauaʻi Mokihana Festival
Usually a week in late September
A week of Hawaiian music and hula: a composers' contest, then three days of kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern) hula competition at the Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall, with a craft and food mākeke (market) on the competition days. Competition tickets were $30 in advance and $35 at the door in 2026.
October 2027 events
Kauaʻi Chocolate & Coffee Festival
Usually a Sunday in mid-October
Growers, chocolate makers and roasters from around the state set up in the lūʻau pavilion at Kilohana Plantation, with demonstrations and live music. Entry is free. Buy a Tasting Passport in advance to be sure of samples; children under 12 can't buy one but can share a parent's.
Kauaʻi Matsuri Festival
Usually a Friday and Saturday in early October
The Kauaʻi Japanese Cultural Society brings taiko, folk dance, a tea ceremony, a mochi-making demonstration, bonsai and a mini bon dance to the Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall. No admission is charged for the Saturday festival.
Weekly and monthly events
Most of these are at four shopping centers: Poʻipū Shopping Village, The Shops at Kukuiʻula, Coconut Marketplace in Kapaʻa and Kukui Grove Center in Līhuʻe.
Pick a day to see only the events that run on it, for example a day you will spend near your hotel. Weekly events run every week on that day. Monthly events run only in some weeks, such as the second Saturday, so check the next date on each card.
Aloha Friday Music at Kukui Grove Center
Every Friday, 6:30–8 p.m.Next: Fri, Oct 23
A free concert by a different local group each Friday evening on Center Stage in the Kukui Grove Center food court in Līhuʻe. A duo also plays at lunchtime.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Docent Tour at the Kauaʻi Museum
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.Next: Wed, Oct 21
A guided walk through the Kauaʻi Museum's exhibits in Līhuʻe with a museum docent. No reservations are needed. As of October 2026, museum admission is $15 for adults 18 to 64 and free for keiki (children) 7 and under.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab) Our guide
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Doug and Sandy McMaster Slack Key Concert in Kapaʻa
Every Thursday, 4–5:30 p.m.Next: Thu, Oct 22
Doug and Sandy McMaster play traditional and original Hawaiian slack key guitar and ʻukulele, with stories, at All Saints' Church in Kapaʻa. They also play some Sundays, 2:30 to 4 p.m., at the Princeville Community Center.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Hanapēpē Friday Art Night
Every Friday, 5 p.m.Next: Fri, Oct 23
On Friday evenings all the galleries in Hanapēpē are open, and artists, musicians and vendors set up along the main street. The art night has run since 1997.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Hula Show with Fire Knife Dancer at Coconut Marketplace
Every Wednesday and Friday, 5–5:30 p.m.Next: Wed, Oct 21
A free show on the center stage of Coconut Marketplace in Kapaʻa: Kumu Hula (hula teacher) Leilani Rivera Low and Hālau Hula ʻO Leilani perform dances from across Polynesia, and every show includes a fire knife performance.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab) Our guide
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Hula at The Shops at Kukuiʻula
Every Monday, 5–5:30 p.m.Next: Mon, Oct 26
A half-hour hula performance in the Palm Court at The Shops at Kukuiʻula by Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leināʻala, led by kumu hula (hula teacher) Breeze Pavao of Kalāheo.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kanikapila at The Shops at Kukuiʻula
Every Friday, 5:30–7:30 p.m.Next: Fri, Oct 23
Local Kauaʻi bands and artists perform live every Friday evening at The Shops at Kukuiʻula on Kauaʻi's South Shore, in a series the center calls kanikapila (a Hawaiian music get-together).
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Kauaʻi ʻUkulele Club Meetup at Kukui Grove Center
First Sunday of every month, 3–5 p.m.Next: Sun, Nov 1
ʻUkulele players of all ages jam and sing together in the Kukui Grove Center food court in Līhuʻe. Bring your own ʻukulele and join in.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Live Music and Hula Show with Fire Knife Dancer at Coconut Marketplace
Every Thursday, 12–1 p.m.Next: Thu, Oct 22
A midday show of live Hawaiian music, hula and a fire knife performance on the center stage of Coconut Marketplace in Kapaʻa, with Kumu Hula (hula teacher) Leilani Rivera Low and Hālau Hula ʻO Leilani. In the rain the show may move to the marketplace pavilion.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026
Poʻipū Shopping Village Hula Show
Every Monday and Thursday, 5 p.m.Next: Thu, Oct 22
A free hula show with live Hawaiian music at the center stage of Poʻipū Shopping Village. Musician Keola Worthington sings and tells stories while Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leināʻala dances.
Organizer's website (opens in a new tab)
Schedule confirmed by the organizer, checked Oct 16, 2026