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Contemporary Hawai’i is celebrated from mid-September to mid-October every year. The festivities begin on O’ahu and move through the island chain with at least a week-long celebration at every stop. A “royal court” is chosen on each island, and there are floral parades, concerts, and craft fairs.

This long-running springtime festival perpetuates the rich heritage of Japanese culture through activities like the Heritage Fair and the Hawai’i International Taiko (Drum) Festival. The celebration culminates with the Festival Ball where a Cherry Blossom Queen and her Court are chosen.

The sound of hundreds of thousands of firecrackers, the time-honored Lion Dance, and bountiful feasts mark Chinese New Year in the islands. It takes place in early February, and anyone can take part.

Tens of thousands run the 8-mile race on President’s Day (February), many for charity.

Two top-ranked college football teams get in on the action each Christmas Day in sunny Honolulu.

The fact that renowned Chicago-based film critic Roger Ebert attends each year is enough to give HIFF some well-deserved national weight. Started in 1981 as a project of the East-West Center when seven films from six countries were screened, today HIFF screens approximately 100 international films at two-dozen locations on six islands.

Sponsored by the Hawai’i Farm Bureau Federation, this county-style fair is held in mid-July to the delight of locals and visitors alike. Perennial favorites are the Country Market, which sells fresh produce from Island farms, the 4-H Livestock Exhibition, and the Plant Sale.

Children of all ages look forward anxiously to the evening in early December when the switch is flipped that lights up the city Christmas tree, signals the start of the Honolulu City Lights Electric Light Parade, illuminates the entire civic center area, and, of course, marks the beginning of the holiday season. The light displays, which adorn all city department buildings, are truly magical.

Each December some 25,000 international runners enjoy O’ahu’s scenic course.

The highlight of the June events marking the King’s birthday is O’ahu’s colorful Floral Parade, which wends its way through Honolulu and Waikīkī, ending at Kapi’olani Park. Other activities include concerts, a Folklife Festival and an international hula competition.