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  • Downtown Art Center Presents The 5Th Annual Heart Of Honolulu Art Festival, A Family-Friendly Block Party In Chinatown, On Saturday, April 11, 2026



DOWNTOWN ART CENTER PRESENTS THE 5TH ANNUAL HEART OF HONOLULU ART FESTIVAL, A FAMILY-FRIENDLY BLOCK PARTY IN CHINATOWN, ON SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026

Honolulu (March 2026) –Downtown Art Center invites the community to celebrate Honolulu’s vibrant arts, culture, and food at the fifth annual HEART of Honolulu Street Festival in the Chinatown Arts District. This FREE, family-friendly, daytime event will transform Nuʻuanu Avenue—between King Street and Chaplain Lane—into a pedestrian-only block party showcasing local art, crafts, live music, food vendors, and interactive arts activities for all ages. The festival takes place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HEART is an acronym that stands for Heritage, Entertainment, Arts & Culture, Restaurants, and Theatre & Performing Arts. Together, these elements make up the core of the vibrant creative community that exists in the Bethel and Nuʻuanu Avenue district, between King Street and Beretania Avenue.

The HEART of Honolulu Street Festival is organized by the nonprofit Downtown Art Center. Some notable participating artists and creative organizations this year include: Hawaiʻi Craftsmen, Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui, Honolulu Printmakers, Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society, and many other arts organizations and independent artists from around the island. 
Most live music at the HEART Festival will take place at the Music Tent, located at the intersection of Pauahi Street and Nuʻuanu Avenue.  The lineup consists of Tree of Nation, playing rock, oldies and blues, Stinkeye, playing 80s and 90s rock, balladeer James McCarthy with a solo guitar set, and Hat Fakes the Man, playing vintage punk.  

New this year will be Tai Chi in the Park, supported by Hawaiʻi Theatre, in a designated space at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park on the corner of Bethel and Hotel Streets where skilled practitioners from Chinatown’s Hawaiʻi Taiji Health and Sports Association and other tai chi groups will be showcasing different tai chi forms from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other exciting events happening at the HEART Festival include two HeART STRUT parades, a fun parade of handmade, wearable art with a Chinese Zodiac theme, led by processional artist Patricia Brubaker at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.; the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Community Kiln, located on the street in front of The ARTS at Marks Garage (1159 Nuʻuanu Ave.) where, for $15, anyone can glaze their own raku ceramic bowl and have it fired by local artists from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and two very special “flashmob” style appearances on the King Street and Nuʻuanu Avenue block by 36-piece community women’s choir La Sorellanza, at 1:15 and 3:15 p.m.

For more information on the HEART of Honolulu Street Festival and an updated list of activities, please visit downtownarthi.org/heartofhonolulufestival.
 
About Downtown Art Center (DAC):
Located in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza building at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., Second Floor, the nonprofit Downtown Art Center is an exhibition gallery and educational space for Oʻahu's arts scene. DAC is a thriving center for the arts, providing display space to showcase local artists and art organizations, classrooms for arts instruction, and more. DAC is dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu through culture and the arts.

Parking for DAC is located at nearby municipal parking lots (onsite at Chinatown Gateway Plaza, parking entrance off Bethel Street) or at Mark's Garage (entrance at 22 S. Pauahi St.). DAC is easily accessible by public transit as well; get directions, routes and timetables at www.thebus.org.


The HeART STRUT community wearable art parade at HEART Festival in 2025.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Art Center. 
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  • Downtown Art Center, Honolulu Hawaii
    Downtown Art Center (DAC) is an evolving gallery and workshop space for Oahu's arts scene. DAC strives to become a thriving center for the arts by providing display space for local artists and art organizations, workshop classrooms, performances, and more.
    1041 B Nuuanu, Honolulu, HI (View Map)
  • Hawaii Craftsmen
    A tradition of excellence. Hawai'i Craftsmen support high standards of quality among member craftsmen who work in clay, fiber, glass metal, mixed media and wood. Increasing awareness of fine crafts since 1966.
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