9 things happening in Pearl City & Aiea, starting this weekend

3 weekend picks, Meet the Chief, a Pearlridge card show and holiday events close to home, plus a 1973 look at H-2 being built

Lina Gozom

9 things happening in Pearl City and Aiea this week

Here are 9 things worth your time in Pearl City and Aiea, starting with this weekend. Each one is a quick read, with a button to the full story.

Aloha kākou! The holidays are rolling in early this year: the Giving Machines open at Pearlridge Nov. 17, and the PCHS PTSA craft fair is Sunday, Nov. 22.

Two quick heads-ups: overnight H-1 lane closures through Aiea and Pearl City Thursday night, and Pearl City Public Library closes for construction after Sunday, Nov. 15.

Got news, an event or a shout-out for the neighborhood? Email us at news@pearlcitylocal.com.

– Lina, Editor, Pearl City Local

SAT., NOV. 14
Fall kids craft, 10–11 a.m. (ages 8+) · ʻAiea Public Library

SAT.–SUN., NOV. 14–15
Sports cards & collectibles show, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Pearlridge Center, Wai Makai

SUN., NOV. 15
Last day at Pearl City Public Library before it closes for construction · 1138 Waimano Home Rd.

Details for each are in the stories below.

Meet the Chief: talk story with HPD in Pearl City

Event flyer. Image: Honolulu Police Department.

COMMUNITY

Thu., Nov. 12, 6–8 p.m. · Free · RSVP required · Nakasone Performing Arts Center, Pearl City High School
Talk story with HPD leadership and bring your questions.

Felt ornaments, fall crafts and story time at ʻAiea Public Library

Schedule source: Hawaiʻi State Public Library System.

COMMUNITY

Thu., Nov. 12, 4:30–6:30 p.m. felt ornament workshop (ages 10+, call 808-483-7333 to save a spot) · Sat., Nov. 14, 10–11 a.m. fall kids craft · preschool story time Wed., Nov. 18 and 25
ʻAiea Public Library, 99-374 Pohai Place

Sports cards and collectibles show returns to Pearlridge

SHOPPING

Sat.–Sun., Nov. 14–15, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Pearlridge Center, Wai Makai second-level Center Court
Sealed boxes, graded cards, comics and autographed memorabilia.

Giving Machines and the Pearlridge Express kick off the holidays

Image: Pearlridge Center.

GIVING

Giving Machines: Tue., Nov. 17–Dec. 31, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. · Pearlridge Express train: from Sat., Nov. 21 ($6 per child)
Pearlridge Center, Aiea. Photos with Santa start Nov. 27 (full Santa hours).

Pearl City High PTSA Holiday Craft Fair

Craft fair flyer. Image: Pearl City High School PTSA.

SHOPPING

Sun., Nov. 22, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. · Pearl City High School cafeteria, 2100 Hookiekie St.
More than 70 vendors, plus food, drinks and andagi. The PTSA raises funds for scholarships, teacher grants and Project Grad.

Hawaii Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker at Leeward Theatre

2026 promotional graphic: Hawaii Ballet Theatre.

HOLIDAY

Sat., Nov. 28, 2 and 7 p.m. · Sun., Nov. 29, 1 and 5:30 p.m. · Leeward Theatre, 96-045 Ala Ike, Pearl City
Hawaii Ballet Theatre with guest artists and more than a hundred local dancers.

Also at Leeward Theatre: The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show, Sat., Dec. 5.

Pearl City Christmas Parade entries are due Nov. 20

2026 Christmas Parade flyer. Image: Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association.

HOLIDAY

Sun., Dec. 6, 4 p.m. · Momilani Elementary to Pearl City Shopping Center
Want to march? Free entries are due Fri., Nov. 20.

Also: the ʻAiea Christmas Parade is Sat., Dec. 12, and groups can apply through Nov. 30.

Overnight H-1 lane closures through Aiea and Pearl City Thursday

Source: Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (schematic, not to scale).

NEWS

Thu., Nov. 12, 7 p.m.–4:30 a.m. Fri. · H-1 between Aiea and the H-1/H-2 merge
Up to four lanes close for viaduct work, one direction at a time. Plan a little extra time.

Pearl City Public Library closes Nov. 16 for construction

NEWS

Last day: Sun., Nov. 15 · 1138 Waimano Home Rd.
The branch closes Mon., Nov. 16, for a construction project. The state library system will post reopening updates.

Lōkahi Counseling Center: family-centered therapy on Hekaha Street in ʻAiea

The Lōkahi Counseling Center team. Photo: Lōkahi Counseling Center.

LOCAL BUSINESS

98-030 Hekaha St., Unit 24, ʻAiea · By appointment only (no walk-ins) · (808) 724-6658
Why locals like it: this ʻAiea practice offers in-person counseling for children, teens, adults, couples and families, plus telehealth across Hawaiʻi. Founded in 2020 by Jennifer Cornwell, LMFT. Call to request an appointment (our story).

1973: the H-2 Freeway takes shape at the H-1 junction near Pearl City

Photo: Charles O'Rear, October 1973, for the EPA's DOCUMERICA project. U.S. National Archives (NARA 553943). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

THEN

In October 1973, a federal photographer looked north from the H-1 junction near Pearl City at the H-2 Freeway, then still under construction and planned to serve the island's central valley.

NOW

The first two miles opened Oct. 3, 1974, and the full H-2 opened in 1977. That H-1/H-2 merge is the same stretch getting overnight lane closures this Thursday. (Source: HDOT)

Trivia Question❓

The H-2 Freeway starts at the H-1 junction in Pearl City. When it opened over its full length in 1977, what Hawaiʻi first did it claim?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

PET OF THE WEEK

Photo: Hawaiian Humane Society

Meet Mr. Chin Chee
9 years old · male · chinchilla

This handsome chinchilla has soft fur, round ears and a curious personality. He came to the shelter after his family moved, and he's most active in the evening, so he's a fun pal for night owls. Meet him at the Hawaiian Humane Society's Mōʻiliʻili Campus, 2700 Waiʻalae Ave., or call (808) 356-2200.

People's Open Market · Tuesdays, 6:30–7:30 a.m. · Waiau District Park, 98-1650 Kaʻahumanu St. · Fridays, 7–8 a.m. · Hālawa District Park (closed City holidays)

Pearlridge Open-Air Farmers' Market · Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon · Wai Makai, near Zippy's

Village Market at Pearlridge · Saturdays, 5–9 p.m. · food trucks, crafts and live music

Have an event or deal for Pearl City & Aiea?
Local businesses, nonprofits and organizers can submit it for an upcoming issue.

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

It was the first Interstate in Hawaiʻi to become fully operational over its entire length, according to the state Department of Transportation.

YOUR TURN
What's your favorite holiday tradition in Pearl City or ʻAiea?
A parade spot, a craft fair you never miss, a light display worth the drive? Email news@pearlcitylocal.com or post in our Facebook group. We'll share favorites in a future issue.