First Friday Artwalk in Chinatown Honolulu

On the first Friday of each month there is an art walk and festival in old town Honolulu on the eastern edge of Chinatown and the western edge of the Honolulu business district.

The Chinatown First Friday Art Walk takes place once a month in a 12 block area with many art-related galleries and businesses, several performance art venues, an alternative movie theater, and some of Honolulu's most popular nightclubs and restaurants, all housed in historic Honolulu buildings.

The Honolulu First Friday Art Walk is sometimes called the Downtown Honolulu Gallery Walk, and it was founded in May of 2003 by the ARTS at Marks Garage, a downtown Honolulu community arts project funded in 2001 using seed money provided by the City and County of Honolulu.

On the first Friday of every month, many of the galleries, shops, and cafes in Chinatown and downtown Honolulu remain open until at least 9:00 pm, drawing more then 2000 Hawaii residents and visitors to the area. There are often special events scheduled on First Friday also, such as art exhibition openings, demonstrations, lectures, and receptions.

Here are some of the galleries, shops, cafes, and other businesses participating in Honolulu's First Friday Art Walk.

Bethel Street
- 2nd Floor Details Gallery, 1142 Bethel Street
- Bethel Street Gallery, 1140 Bethel Street
- Red Elephant Cafe and Gallery, 1144 Bethel Street

Fort Street Mall
- #101 Gillian Armour Studio, Merchant and Fort Street Mall
- Jeff Chang Pottery, 808 Fort Street Mall
- Mercury, 1154 Fort Street Mall

Hotel Street
- Hawaii State Art Museum, 250 South Hotel Street
- INTO, 40 North Hotel Street
- Next Door, 43 North Hotel Street

Nuuanu Avenue
- The Art Board, 1170 Nuuanu Avenue
- The ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Avenue
- Got Art? 1136 Nuuanu Avenue
- Hanks Cafe Honolulu, 1038 Nuuanu Avenue
- Louis Pohl Gallery, 1111 Nuuanu Avenue
- Sharky’s Tattoo, 1038 Nuuanu Avenue
- Pegge Hopper Gallery, 1164 Nuuanu Avenue

Smith Street
- Ramsay Museum, 1128 Smith Street
- Chinatown Courtyard, 1126 Smith Street
- Da Space, 1192 Smith Street
- Little Village, 1113 Smith Street

Other Streets
- F/22 Gallery, 22 Pauahi Street
- Green Door Cafe, corner of Maunakea and Pauahi
- Pacific Traditions Gallery, 19 North Pauahi Street
- Pipe Dreams Smokeshop, 181 North King Street

Articles About First Night in Chinatown
- 2006 Jan 06: January 2006 Article
- 2006 May 05: Gallery Holds Benefit for Peggy Chun
- 2006 Feb 03: Fill Up on Art and Food at First Friday

First Friday Web Sites
- Unofficial First Friday Web Site

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About the Chinatown District of Honolulu

City of Honolulu Visitor's Guidee

Oahu Island Travel Guide

Hawaii for Visitors

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