192 on the calendar
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
Dec 15 – Apr 15, peak Feb–Mar
Leeward coast (ʻAuʻau Channel)
Every winter, thousands of North Pacific humpback whales migrate roughly 3,000 miles from Alaska to the warm, shallow waters around Maui to mate, calve and nurse their young. The ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi becomes one of the best whale-watching areas on Earth, with sightings of breaches, tail slaps and mother-calf pairs. You can watch for free from Maui's leeward coast — the Papawai Scenic Lookout (Māʻalaea Pali), McGregor Point, and the beaches of Kāʻanapali and Wailea are reliable vantage points — or take a naturalist-led boat tour out of Lāhainā or Māʻalaea harbors. Morning trips generally have the calmest water. Peak season is February and March, though whales arrive as early as December and linger into April. Federal law requires staying at least 100 yards from a whale.
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held January 1, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-01
2026-01-03
2026-01-03
2026-01-03
The Quadrantids are one of the year's strongest meteor showers, with a brief, sharp peak in early January that can produce 40 or more meteors per hour under dark skies. Because Hawaiʻi has some of the clearest, darkest skies in the U.S., the islands are a superb place to watch. Look in the hours before dawn, away from town lights — a high-elevation spot or a dark leeward beach is ideal. No telescope needed; just let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes.
2026-01-04
2026-01-04
2026-01-05 – 2026-01-11
Kapalua Plantation Course
The Sentry is the PGA Tour's season-opening event, a winners-only tournament that gathers the previous season's Tour champions to tee off the new year. It is played on the dramatic Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort on Maui's northwest coast, famous for its sweeping downhill fairways, trade-wind-swept greens and Pacific-and-Molokaʻi backdrop — including the par-5 18th, one of the most photographed finishing holes in golf. Held in early January in Kapalua, West Maui, it draws the world's top players and pairs perfectly with the start of humpback whale season just offshore. Grounds tickets and hospitality packages are sold each year; the West Maui resorts book up early around the event.
2026-01-17
2026-01-18
2026-01-18
2026-02-01
2026-02-04
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held February 4, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-02-15
Kīhei · Kalama Park
World Whale Day is the centerpiece of the Maui Whale Festival — a whale-themed parade followed by an all-day festival at Kalama Park in Kīhei. The free celebration features live Hawaiian and contemporary music, food trucks, local craft and nonprofit booths, and keiki (children's) activities, all honoring the humpback whales that winter in Maui's waters. Held in February; come early for parking along South Kīhei Road.
2026-02-16
2026-02-16
2026-02-16
Honolulu — Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium
The Great Aloha Run is one of Hawaiʻi's largest participatory events, an 8.15-mile charity run held every Presidents' Day in February. Tens of thousands of runners and walkers travel from Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu to Aloha Stadium in Hālawa, raising money for local charities in a festive, community-wide morning. Open to all paces, it is as much a local tradition as a race.
2026-02-21
Late February
South Maui
The Maui Whale Festival is a month-long celebration of the North Pacific humpback whale, presented by the Pacific Whale Foundation in Kīhei on Maui's south shore during the February peak of whale season. Expect ocean-education programs, run/walk events, a film series and the flagship World Whale Day at Kalama Park. Many events are free and family-friendly, making it a great way to learn about the humpbacks you can see just offshore.
2026-02-21
2026-02-22
2026-02-28
2026-03-01
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held March 1, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-03-06 – 2026-03-08
Waikīkī & Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Honolulu
The Honolulu Festival is a March celebration of the cultural ties between Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region. Over a weekend it fills the Hawaiʻi Convention Center and Waikīkī with music, dance and craft performances from Japan, the Pacific and beyond, culminating in a Grand Parade down Kalākaua Avenue and the Nagaoka Fireworks show over Waikīkī Beach. Most events are free and family-friendly.
2026-03-14
2026-03-15
2026-03-22
2026-03-26
Statewide holiday
Prince Kūhiō Day (March 26) is a Hawaiʻi state holiday honoring Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole — royal heir, longtime delegate to the U.S. Congress, and champion of Native Hawaiian rights and homesteading. Known as the "Citizen Prince," he is remembered across the islands with commemorative ceremonies, canoe regattas, hula and cultural programs. It is a meaningful window into Hawaiian history and civic culture.
2026-03-29
2026-04-04
2026-04-04
Kīhei
An outrigger canoe / paddling race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held April 4, 2026 (Kīhei). See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-04-11
2026-04-12
2026-04-18
2026-04-18
Hāna
The East Maui Taro Festival celebrates kalo (taro) — the plant at the heart of Hawaiian culture, cosmology and diet — in the remote, deeply Hawaiian town of Hāna at the end of the Road to Hāna. Held each April at the Hāna Ball Park, the festival brings together poi pounding demonstrations, a taro pancake breakfast, hula, Hawaiian music, a farmers' market, and local food and craft vendors. It is one of the most authentic cultural gatherings on Maui and a chance to experience Hāna's community firsthand. Plan for the long, winding drive from central or West Maui (allow 2.5–3 hours each way, or stay overnight in Hāna), and arrive early — parking and the town's small footprint fill quickly on festival weekend.
2026-04-18
2026-04-18
2026-04-18
2026-04-18
2026-04-19
2026-04-22
The Lyrids are an annual April meteor shower, active for about a week and peaking around April 22 with roughly 15–20 fast, bright meteors per hour and the occasional fireball. From Hawaiʻi, the best viewing is after midnight into the pre-dawn hours, away from city lights. Find a dark, open sky — upcountry or a leeward shore — and give your eyes time to adjust.
2026-04-25
2026-04-29
2026-05-01
2026-05-01
Statewide
In Hawaiʻi, "May Day is Lei Day" — May 1 is celebrated island-wide as Lei Day, a joyful tribute to the lei and to Hawaiian culture. Communities and schools across Maui hold lei-making contests, hula performances, Hawaiian music and Lei Day courts crowning a king and queen. It is a warm, accessible introduction to the aloha spirit; many programs are free and open to the public.
2026-05-02
2026-05-03
2026-05-06
The Eta Aquariids are debris from Halley's Comet, peaking in early May. Hawaiʻi's low latitude makes it one of the best places in the United States to watch this shower — from the tropics it can deliver 40+ swift meteors per hour, many leaving glowing trains. Look toward the eastern sky in the hours before dawn from a dark location. A standout event for island stargazers.
2026-05-09
2026-05-09
2026-05-10
2026-05-10
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held May 10, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-05-10
Mid-May
Kahului · MACC
The Maui Brewers Festival is an outdoor craft-beer celebration on the grounds of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului. Attendees sample pours from dozens of breweries — including many Hawaiʻi-made craft labels — alongside local food, live music and lawn games with an ocean-view backdrop. It is a 21-and-over, ticketed event typically held in spring; tickets include a souvenir tasting cup and sell out most years.
2026-05-23
2026-05-23
2026-05-25
Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu
Lantern Floating Hawaii is one of Oʻahu's most moving and iconic gatherings, held every Memorial Day at Ala Moana Beach. At sunset, thousands of lanterns bearing remembrances are set afloat on the water together, honoring loved ones who have passed and offering collective hope and gratitude. Free and open to all, the ceremony draws tens of thousands and is deeply photogenic — arrive early in the afternoon for a good spot, and consider public transit given the crowds.
2026-06-02
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held June 2, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-06-06
Saturdays, June through the state championship in early August
Kīhei / Kahului beaches
Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing is a summer institution, and Maui's regatta season runs weekend races from roughly June through August. Local canoe clubs compete in short sprint courses just off the beach — at spots like Kahului Harbor and Kīhei — in age divisions from keiki to masters, building toward the state championships. Regattas are lively, family-filled community events, and they are free and easy to watch from the sand.
2026-06-07
2026-06-13
Mid-June
Central Maui
The Slack Key Guitar Festival celebrates kī hōʻalu — Hawaiian slack-key guitar, a fingerpicked style born in the islands and central to Hawaiian music. The free concert gathers master slack-key players and family performers for an afternoon of live music, usually at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului. It is one of the best chances on Maui to hear this gentle, distinctly Hawaiian art form performed by its leading practitioners.
Mid-June
Wailea
The Maui Film Festival is a beloved outdoor film festival held each June in Wailea, on Maui's sunny south shore. Its signature venue is the Celestial Cinema — a grass amphitheater on a golf fairway where films screen on a giant screen under the stars with a full surround-sound system. The festival mixes independent premieres, documentaries and studio previews with celebrity tributes and awards, plus culinary events at the Wailea resorts. Bring a light layer for the evening trade winds and arrive early for lawn seating. Passes and individual-night tickets go on sale ahead of the festival, and Wailea hotels are the most convenient place to stay.
2026-06-20
Kahului · Queen Kaʻahumanu Center
King Kamehameha Day (June 11) is a Hawaiʻi state holiday honoring Kamehameha the Great, who unified the Hawaiian Islands. Maui marks it with the Nā Kamehameha Pāʻū Parade, a colorful procession led by pāʻū riders — women on horseback in flowing satin skirts and lei, each representing an island in its signature color and flower. The parade winds through town with marching units, floats and Hawaiian pageantry, and is free to watch from the roadside.
2026-06-21
2026-06-21
2026-06-25 – 2026-06-28
Kapalua
The Kapalua Wine & Food Festival is one of the longest-running wine and food festivals in the United States, held each June at the Kapalua Resort on Maui's northwest coast. Wine lovers gather for grand tastings pouring hundreds of labels, winemaker dinners, chef demonstrations and seminars led by master sommeliers and celebrated chefs, set against Kapalua's beaches and pineapple-covered hills. Signature events include the seaside Grand Tastings and intimate winemaker dinners at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and Kapalua's restaurants. Tickets are sold per event or as full-festival passes and sell out; book accommodations in the Kapalua–Kāʻanapali area well ahead.
2026-06-27
2026-07-03
2026-07-04
Early July
Upcountry · Makawao
The Makawao Rodeo is one of the largest rodeos in Hawaiʻi, held over the Fourth of July weekend at the Oskie Rice Arena in Makawao, the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) town in Maui's upcountry. A sanctioned rodeo with roping, riding and barrel racing draws competitors from across the islands and the mainland, and the accompanying Paniolo Parade brings horses, floats and upcountry community spirit down Makawao Avenue. A uniquely Hawaiian take on ranching culture — arrive early, as upcountry roads and parking fill up.
2026-07-05
2026-07-11
2026-07-11
2026-07-12
2026-07-12
2026-07-12
Maliko Gulch → Kanaha Beach Park
Paddle Imua is Maui's classic downwind ocean race and ʻohana festival, running the legendary Maliko run along the island's north shore — from Maliko Gulch in Haʻikū to Kanaha Beach Park in Kahului. Paddlers race across the open-ocean trade-wind bumps on stand-up paddleboards, one- and six-person outrigger canoes, prone boards and downwind foils, one of the most iconic downwind courses in the world. The finish at Kanaha turns into a family festival with food, music and keiki activities, and the event raises funds to support Maui children with special needs. It is held in July. If you are coming to watch or paddle, note that Kanaha Beach Park's parking lot fills very early on race morning — arrive at dawn or plan an alternate beach for that day.
2026-07-19
2026-07-19
2026-07-25
2026-07-25
2026-07-25
2026-08-01
2026-08-02
2026-08-02
2026-08-08
2026-08-09
2026-08-12
The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower of the year, peaking in mid-August with up to 60 bright, fast meteors per hour and frequent fireballs, all on warm summer nights. Debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, they are easy to enjoy from Hawaiʻi under dark skies. Watch after midnight, away from town lights, from a high-elevation site or a dark beach; no equipment needed.
2026-08-13
2026-08-14
2026-08-15 – 2026-08-23
Waikīkī Beach, Honolulu
Dukeʻs OceanFest is a weeklong ocean-sports festival held each August on Waikīkī Beach, celebrating Duke Kahanamoku — Olympic swimming champion, father of modern surfing, and Hawaiʻi's beloved ambassador of aloha. Centered on the Duke statue in Waikīkī, it features longboard surfing, tandem surfing, stand-up paddle and paddleboard races, an ocean mile swim, beach volleyball, and a surf-polo exhibition. Most events are free to watch from the sand and timed around Duke's August 24 birthday.
2026-08-16
2026-08-22
2026-08-22
2026-08-22
2026-08-23
2026-08-29
2026-08-30
2026-09-01
2026-09-01
2026-09-05
2026-09-05
2026-09-05
2026-09-12
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held September 5, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-09-12
2026-09-13
2026-09-18
2026-09-19
2026-09-19
Mid-to-late September
West Maui to Molokaʻi
The Pailolo Challenge is a premier Hawaiian outrigger canoe and stand-up paddle downwind race across the Pailolo Channel, the roughly 26-mile stretch of open ocean between Maui and Molokaʻi. Starting on Maui's northwest coast near Kapalua and finishing on Molokaʻi, crews ride the trade-wind swell in one of the region's classic channel crossings. Held in September, it draws OC6, OC1 and SUP paddlers from across Hawaiʻi and beyond; it is a serious open-ocean race best appreciated by paddlers and their escort crews.
2026-09-20
Late September
Kahului · War Memorial
The Maui County Fair is the oldest county fair in Hawaii, running for more than a century, and a cherished end-of-summer tradition held at the War Memorial Complex in Kahului. Expect classic fair rides and games, a plant and orchid show, livestock and agricultural exhibits, an ethnic-food row showcasing Maui's many cultures, live entertainment and a nightly midway. It typically takes place in late September or early October and draws families from across the island. Buy ride wristbands in advance to save, come hungry for the local plate lunches and malasadas, and expect heavy traffic and paid parking around the War Memorial Stadium during fair weekend.
2026-09-26
2026-09-27
2026-10-01
2026-10-02
2026-10-03
2026-10-03
2026-10-10
2026-10-10
2026-10-11
2026-10-17
2026-10-17
2026-10-18
2026-10-18
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held October 18, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-10-21
The Orionids are a reliable October meteor shower, also produced by dust from Halley's Comet. At their peak around October 21 they yield roughly 15–20 fast meteors per hour, often with persistent trains. From Hawaiʻi, watch the pre-dawn sky from a dark spot away from resort and town lights, and allow your eyes to adjust for the best show.
2026-10-23 – 2026-10-25
Wailea · Sheraton Maui
The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival is the state's premier culinary event, and its Maui leg brings world-renowned chefs, winemakers and mixologists to the resorts of Wailea and Kapalua each autumn. Founded by celebrated chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, the festival spans the islands; the Maui events feature multi-course collaboration dinners, grand tasting galas and hands-on experiences highlighting Hawaiʻi-grown ingredients and local producers. It is a premium, ticketed event held in October or November, and individual events sell out quickly. It pairs naturally with a South or West Maui resort stay; buy tickets early and plan for upscale-casual resort attire.
2026-10-24 – 2026-10-28
Hoʻokipa Beach Park
The Aloha Classic is the season-ending world championship of the International Windsurfing Tour (IWT), staged at Hoʻokipa Beach Park near Pāʻia on Maui's north shore — widely considered the premier wave-sailing venue on the planet. The world's best wave sailors compete in powerful trade winds and Hoʻokipa's peeling waves, throwing aerials and riding down-the-line in what is often the deciding event of the world title. Held over a holding period in late October and November (the exact competition days depend on wind and swell), it is free to watch from the grassy bluff above the beach, which offers a natural amphitheater over the action. Parking fills fast on the best wind days — arrive early, bring sun protection, and check the daily competition call, since sailing runs only when conditions are on.
2026-10-31
2026-10-31
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held October 31, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-11-06 – 2026-11-07
Kahului · MACC
The Made in Maui County Festival is the county's largest products show, held each November at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului. More than a hundred local vendors sell food, art, jewelry, apparel, gifts and value-added farm products — everything genuinely made in Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi). It is the best single place to buy directly from island makers and to taste local specialties; a paid preview night precedes the main public day.
2026-11-07
The Vissla HiTech Lopez Surfbash is one of Maui's biggest grassroots surf contests, held each November at Hoʻokipa Beach Park on the north shore — the island's premier wave venue. Amateur surfers compete across a wide range of divisions over a lively weekend of Maui surf culture. It is free to watch from the bluff overlooking Hoʻokipa, though the contest area itself is closed to recreational surfers during heats.
2026-11-08
2026-11-12 – 2026-12-20
North Shore Oʻahu — Haleʻiwa, Sunset, Pipeline
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is the premier professional surfing series on Oʻahu's legendary North Shore, running from November into December across the sport's most iconic waves — Haleʻiwa, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline. When winter swells light up the "seven-mile miracle," the world's best surfers take on some of the heaviest waves on Earth. Events run on a holding period, sailing only when the surf is on; it is free to watch from the beach, though parking along Kamehameha Highway is tight.
2026-11-14
2026-11-17
The Leonids peak in mid-November with a modest 10–15 meteors per hour in a typical year, though the shower is famous for occasional dramatic outbursts. The meteors are fast and can leave lingering trails. From Hawaiʻi's dark skies, look in the hours before dawn, away from artificial light, and be patient — a dark, high, or leeward location gives the best chance.
2026-11-21
2026-11-21
2026-11-21
2026-11-26
2026-11-26
2026-11-26
2026-11-28
2026-12-05
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held December 5, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-12-06
2026-12-13
2026-12-13
Honolulu — Ala Moana to Kapiʻolani Park
The Honolulu Marathon is one of the largest marathons in the world and a Hawaiʻi institution, run each December (traditionally the second Sunday) on Oʻahu. Famous for having no field-size cap and drawing a huge international field — especially tens of thousands of runners from Japan — it starts before dawn near Ala Moana and downtown Honolulu, runs through Waikīkī, loops around Diamond Head out to Hawaiʻi Kai, and finishes at Kapiʻolani Park. Fireworks launch the start; the friendly, no-time-limit atmosphere makes it popular with first-timers and walkers.
2026-12-14
The Geminids are widely considered the best meteor shower of the year, peaking around December 14 with up to 120 bright, often multicolored meteors per hour. Unusually, they come from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon) rather than a comet. Hawaiʻi's clear, dark skies make for excellent viewing — watch from mid-evening through the pre-dawn hours at a dark, open site away from town lights.
2026-12-19
2026-12-19
2026-12-19
2026-12-20
2026-12-20
2027-01-02
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held January 2, 2027. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2027-01-03
The Quadrantids are one of the year's strongest meteor showers, with a brief, sharp peak in early January that can produce 40 or more meteors per hour under dark skies. Because Hawaiʻi has some of the clearest, darkest skies in the U.S., the islands are a superb place to watch. Look in the hours before dawn, away from town lights — a high-elevation spot or a dark leeward beach is ideal. No telescope needed; just let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes.
2027-01-09
2027-01-09
2027-01-16
2027-01-17
2027-02-06
2027-02-06
2027-02-21
2027-03-07
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held March 7, 2027. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2027-03-20
2027-03-21
2027-04-02
2027-04-03
2027-04-04
2027-04-22
The Lyrids are an annual April meteor shower, active for about a week and peaking around April 22 with roughly 15–20 fast, bright meteors per hour and the occasional fireball. From Hawaiʻi, the best viewing is after midnight into the pre-dawn hours, away from city lights. Find a dark, open sky — upcountry or a leeward shore — and give your eyes time to adjust.
2027-05-06
The Eta Aquariids are debris from Halley's Comet, peaking in early May. Hawaiʻi's low latitude makes it one of the best places in the United States to watch this shower — from the tropics it can deliver 40+ swift meteors per hour, many leaving glowing trains. Look toward the eastern sky in the hours before dawn from a dark location. A standout event for island stargazers.
2027-05-08
The Lahaina Harbor Classic is a Hawaii Surfing Association (HSA) amateur surf contest held on West Maui around the Fourth of July, at the Lahaina breakwall and nearby Launiupoko / 1000 Peaks. Competitors surf across age and skill divisions in Lahaina's warm, gentle waves — a grassroots, family-oriented event and a good introduction to Hawaii's amateur surf scene. Note that the contest lineup is closed to the public and parking fills early, so surf a different break that day.
2027-05-08
2027-05-31
2027-06-13
2027-07-17
2027-07-18
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held July 19, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2027-08-12
The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower of the year, peaking in mid-August with up to 60 bright, fast meteors per hour and frequent fireballs, all on warm summer nights. Debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, they are easy to enjoy from Hawaiʻi under dark skies. Watch after midnight, away from town lights, from a high-elevation site or a dark beach; no equipment needed.
2027-10-21
The Orionids are a reliable October meteor shower, also produced by dust from Halley's Comet. At their peak around October 21 they yield roughly 15–20 fast meteors per hour, often with persistent trains. From Hawaiʻi, watch the pre-dawn sky from a dark spot away from resort and town lights, and allow your eyes to adjust for the best show.
2027-11-17
The Leonids peak in mid-November with a modest 10–15 meteors per hour in a typical year, though the shower is famous for occasional dramatic outbursts. The meteors are fast and can leave lingering trails. From Hawaiʻi's dark skies, look in the hours before dawn, away from artificial light, and be patient — a dark, high, or leeward location gives the best chance.
2027-12-14
The Geminids are widely considered the best meteor shower of the year, peaking around December 14 with up to 120 bright, often multicolored meteors per hour. Unusually, they come from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon) rather than a comet. Hawaiʻi's clear, dark skies make for excellent viewing — watch from mid-evening through the pre-dawn hours at a dark, open site away from town lights.
Amateur contest days through the season — check hsamaui.org
Lahaina / Launiupoko area
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi (Lahaina / Launiupoko area). See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.