Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 155

At the nine Wallace Theatres, on Restaurant Row near downtown Honolulu
( & 808/263-4171 ), free parking in the evenings, discount matinees, and spe-
cial discounted midnight shows take a big step toward making movies friendlier
and more affordable.
SPECTATOR SPORTS
Although there aren't any major league sports teams in Hawaii, there are college
teams and a handful of professional exposition games played in Hawaii, many
of them immensely popular among the local residents. Check the schedule at the
50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, located near Pearl Harbor, 99-500 Salt Lake Blvd.
( & 808/486-93003 ), where high school and University of Hawaii football
games are also held from September to November ( & 808/944-BOWS;
www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu). There are usually express buses that take you to
the stadium on game nights; they depart from Ala Moana Shopping Center
(TheBus nos. 47-50 and 52), or from Monsarrat Avenue near Kapiolani Park
(TheBus no. 20). Call TheBus at & 808/848-5555 for times and fares.
The Neal Blaisdell Center, at Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue
( & 808/521-2911; www.blaisdellcenter.com), features a variety of sporting
events, such as professional boxing and Japanese sumo wrestling. In December,
the Annual Rainbow Classic, a collegiate basketball invitational tournament,
takes place at the Blaisdell Center. For bus information, call TheBus at & 808/
848-5555.
At the University of Hawaii, the Rainbow Stadium, 1337 Lower Campus
Rd., and the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, next door, are hosts to col-
lege baseball and softball January through May. Collegiate volleyball, which is
extremely popular in Hawaii, takes place at the Stan Sheriff Center, also on the
UH campus, 1355 Lower Campus Rd., from November to May. Information is
available at & 808/944-BOWS or www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu.
With Hawaii's cowboy history, polo is a popular sport, played every Sunday
from March to August in Mokuleia or Waimanalo. Bring a picnic lunch and
enjoy the game. Call & 808/637-7656 for details on times and admission

charges.
A sport you might not be familiar with is Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing,
which is very big locally. Every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day,
canoe races are held around Oahu. The races are free and draw huge crowds.
Check the local papers for information on race schedules.
Motor-racing fans can enjoy their sport at Hawaii Raceway Park, 91-201
Malakole, in Campbell Industrial Park, at Ewa Beach next to the Barbers Point
Naval Air Station ( & 808/841-3724 ), on Friday and Saturday nights.
Some of the other spectator sports scheduled during the year, such as the NFL
Pro Bowl, the Rainbow Classic, and major surfing tournaments, are listed in the
“Kids' Favorite Hawaiian Events” in chapter 2.
STORY HOURS
A range of free storytelling and read-aloud programs are offered by the public
library. One of the more popular programs is presented by retired children's
librarian and local storyteller Nyla Ching-Fujii, along with blues man balladeer
Jeffry Stephen Babb, who tour the libraries with their “Read It in Books” pro-
gram. It includes a musical version of an Aesop's fable and a poetry version of
“Hen and the Bottle.” For additional information on these and other story-
telling programs, contact the Hawaii State Public Library ( & 808/586-3500;
www.librarieshawaii.org/programs/childrenoahu.htm).