Honolulu’s Festa Italiana returns to Kakaʻako this weekend, serving up a free, family-friendly street festival at Mother Waldron Park on Saturday, June 6 (this Saturday) from 4 to 9:30 p.m., plus a ticketed Passaporto Italiano VIP tasting at Velocity Honolulu on Friday, June 5 (this Friday). Across the two days, the event blends Italian food, live music, film and cultural programming throughout Kakaʻako and Velocity’s showroom in the Ward area.
When and where
Festa Italiana runs Friday and Saturday, with the Passaporto Italiano VIP Experience at Velocity Honolulu on Friday, June 5, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., and the free “Festa in Strada” street festival at Mother Waldron Park on Saturday, June 6, from 4 to 9:30 p.m., according to Festa Italiana Hawaii. The Friday VIP night is for guests 21 and over and requires a ticket, while the Saturday street festival is free to attend and open to all ages.
What you'll eat
The menu leans hard into Italian comfort food. Returning vendor Allegrini Mozzarella is set to dish out spaghetti con polpette, penne alla carbonara prepared in a cheese wheel, gnocchi al shrimp pesto, caprese and tiramisu, and Old Spaghetti Factory will provide free meals to the first 200 children ages 10 and under, as reported by KHON2. Local event listings highlight dozens of participating vendors, from Arancino and Il Gelato to Mad Pie and Fig & Ginger, promising pizza, panzerotti and plenty of gelato throughout the park, per HONOLULU Magazine.
Music, art and family programming
It is not just about the food. The festival pairs its eats with performances from the Royal Hawaiian Band, Ballet Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony, Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre and Mike Lewis and his band, according to Festa Italiana Hawaii. For families, the schedule includes keiki film screenings of Pinocchio and Cinema Paradiso, a Hawaiʻi Literacy Bookmobile, carnival games, face painting and a Galileo-themed stargazing session with Stargazers of Hawaiʻi.
Tickets, parking and tips
The street festival is free, but Passaporto Italiano VIP tickets start around $175 and include tastings and unlimited Italian wine and beer, while La Terrazza VIP sections at the street festival require separate tickets, according to HONOLULU Magazine. Organizers recommend arriving early, bringing a hat and sunscreen, and using validated parking at Waterfront Plaza or rideshare options, since street parking around Mother Waldron Park is limited.
Why it matters
Organizers describe Festa Italiana Hawaii as a nonprofit effort designed to foster cultural exchange and support local restaurants, artists and community groups, and this year’s program underscores that mission with partnerships across Kakaʻako and the local restaurant scene, according to Aloha State Daily. Whether you stop by for the free keiki activities or spring for the VIP tastings, the festival aims to spotlight small businesses while bringing a taste of Italy to Oʻahu.
