Thanksgiving in Hawaii 2026: Oahu Events and Things to Do

The calendar below runs from Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, November 29, 2026. Every date comes from the organizer’s own page, checked October 18. The Hawaiian Mission Houses hours come from a Go Hawaii listing; the museum’s page confirms the date and free entry. Thanksgiving dinner has its own guide, and for the month’s weather and crowds see Oahu in November.

The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s Turkey Trot is the week’s main Thanksgiving Day event, capped at 2,000 runners and walkers (RunSignup). All three courses start and finish on Kalākaua Avenue at the Honolulu Marathon finish line, near the statue of Queen Kapiʻolani: the 5-mile (8K) at 7:30 a.m., the 3.6-mile, twice around the park, at 7:40, and the 1.8-mile family run or walk at 7:50. Sunrise is 6:49 a.m. (USNO).

The early deadline was November 6. Adult entry on the three distances is now $50, $40 and $30, up from $40, $30 and $20 before the deadline. Late registration closes Wednesday, November 25 at 5 p.m., late registrants pick up packets that day, and nothing is sold on race day. Children 5 and under ride in a stroller free on the 3.6 and 1.8-mile courses.

This is the Clinic’s only fundraiser, and it says it has no relationship to the Honolulu Marathon (December 13). A virtual 10K is open to November 24 for $40 (Honolulu Marathon Clinic).

• Packet pickup: Saturday and Sunday, Nov 21 and 22, 1 to 4 p.m., at the Runners Route stores on Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Waimalu Plaza; Wed, Nov 25, noon to 6 p.m., at the Queen Kapiʻolani Park Bandstand. The page says times may change.
• After the race: Prize giveaways and a costume contest at the Bandstand, and Thanksgiving costumes are encouraged.
• Rules: Strollers only on the 1.8-mile loop, no pets, no selfie sticks.

The Waikiki Holiday Parade falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which its organizer lists as November 27, 2026. It commemorates the Pearl Harbor attack and honors survivors and veterans, with Hawaiian and mainland marching bands and military units on torch-lit Kalākaua Avenue. The route runs about 1.5 miles from Fort DeRussy to Queen Kapiʻolani Park (route). The site posts no start time or street closures yet, so check it before you plan your evening.

Hilton Hawaiian Village lists its fireworks as “Fridays @ 7:45 pm” (Hilton). Our Waikiki fireworks guide covers where to stand and how to get there. For the rest of Waikīkī, see things to do in Waikiki.

The City and County of Honolulu lists Kapolei City Lights opening night at Kapolei Hale on Saturday, November 28, from 5 to 9 p.m., free. The block party has dozens of local vendors and live music on the streets around the hale, plus a holiday car showcase. The Holiday Parade has “historically” begun at 5:30 p.m. with the Royal Hawaiian Band, ending at Kamaʻaha Avenue; the city has not posted a 2026 time. A 50-foot tree stands outside.

The decorations open that evening and run through January 3, 2027, under the theme “Paniolo Nights and Holiday Lights” (City and County of Honolulu). Kapolei Hale is 26.1 miles and about 41 minutes from central Waikīkī (our measurement, free-flowing roads). Honolulu City Lights does not open until Saturday, December 5 (official FAQ).

Hawaiʻi plays at Nevada on Saturday, November 21, so the home football game is Saturday, November 28 against Sacramento State, 6 p.m. at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, 2.7 miles and about 10 minutes from central Waikīkī (our measurement). It is on K5 and MW+. Our guide to UH football on Oahu has the stadium and the visitor details. It starts at the same hour as Kapolei City Lights, so pick one.

The men’s basketball team hosts Incarnate Word on Wednesday, November 25 at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center (schedule), 2.9 miles and 9 minutes away.

Sunset is 5:48 p.m. every day from November 21 to 29 and sunrise runs 6:46 to 6:51 a.m. (USNO). NOAA’s November normals for Waikīkī are 83.8°F and 71.5°F, with 2.57 inches of rain on 4.5 days (NOAA NCEI); the November water averages 79.7°F by our analysis of NOAA’s Honolulu Harbor gauge. The Waikiki beaches guide picks the sand.

The state lists south shores as “flat-to-small” in winter and north shores as “consistent huge and dangerous swells” (Hawaii Ocean Safety); novice surfers and swimmers should stay out of north shore water in high surf. Check the NWS surf forecast before you drive, and use the North Shore waves guide for where to watch. The World Surf League’s Qualifying Series page lists no Oʻahu contest between the HTA Haleʻiwa Pro (ends November 14) and December. NOAA says humpback whales are generally seen from November through April (sanctuary); see whale watching on Oahu.

The Waikīkī Aquarium’s 2026 jellyfish calendar marks November 24 as the full moon and no high-probability box jellyfish days between November 6 and 30; the next are December 2 to 4. The dates are estimates, so swim at guarded beaches and ask a lifeguard.

The Royal Hawaiian Center runs complimentary photos with Santa on Wednesdays and Saturdays from November 25 to December 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in The Royal Grove, and a Storybook holiday show at 5 p.m. on Saturdays from November 28 (Royal Hawaiian Center). Families get one print and a digital copy, and the page says photo lines may close before 7 p.m. Santa arrives at the Kick-Off Show on Wednesday, November 25.

The Turkey Trot has a 1.8-mile family course, and Kapolei City Lights is free. The Waikīkī Aquarium is open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closes early on Thanksgiving Day (hours); see our Waikiki Aquarium guide.

For Black Friday, Mālama Hawaiʻi Makers Market runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Hibiscus Ballrooms at the Ala Moana Hotel (Mālama), and the Islandwide expo opens at the Blaisdell. The Mayor’s Craft & Country Fair on November 21 is its 50th year: free entry, $8 event parking at the Blaisdell, and a canned good for the Hawaiʻi Food Bank (City and County of Honolulu). Every other fair is in our guide to Oahu holiday markets and craft fairs.