So many things happening this month and next that I thought I’d slip in an extra newsletter with a heads up on these events:
Honolulu Orchid Society Show
The Honolulu Orchid Society will be holding its 86th Annual Orchid Show , which starts today (Friday, Oct. 10) and continues tomorrow. The show is open 9 am-4 pm at Washington Middle School Cafeteria. There will orchid displays and sales, free orchid culture classes, and more. For more info go to their website.
Guided Lyon Arboretum Tours
Tickets go on sale today (Friday Oct. 10) for Mālama Mānoa’s two guided tours of Lyon Arboretum:
Nov. 12: Malama Manoa Walkabouts: A Guided Tour at Lyon Arboretum. Session 1 is geared to families. From 12-2:45 pm, educators from Lyon’s education department will lead a family-friendly walk designed to spark curiosity and help children see Mānoa Valley in a new way. Kids and parents alike will discover the stories, plants, and history that make this place such a hidden gem. Tickets are $10 plus fees - Click here to register.
Nov. 17: Malama Manoa Walkabouts: A Guided Tour at Lyon Arboretum. Session 2 is for adults. From 9:15-10:30 am, expert guides will share the arboretum’s collections, history, and cultural stories, giving you a deeper view of Mānoa’s ecology and conservation efforts. Tickets are $15 plus fees - Click here to register.
Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden: Upcoming Closure
Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe will be closed every Thursday beginning Jan. 8, 2026. The Department of Parks and Recreation announced the closures following a three-week poll in which 76% voted for Thursday.
“Closing on Thursdays will help ensure garbage collectors can regularly access their bins, reinforcing the benefits of providing the garden with a day of rest on this day,” Honolulu Botanical Garden Director Joshlyn Sand said in an Oct. 8 press release.
The weekly closures will give the garden’s natural environment to rejuvenate, and give staff an opportunity to conduct maintenance and recreational programming improvements. The garden is also closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Over the past decade, Ho‘omaluhia has seen a near steady increase in attendance, particularly over the last several years during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This continuous increase recently culminated with 723,495 visits tallied at the botanical garden from July 2024 through June 2025.
Saturday Events
There is still time to sign up for community workdays and workshops like Learn to Worm (vermicasting or worm composting) at the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City and Pōpō Hua Kanu (Native Seed Ball) Workshop at Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Garden in Kaka’ako. Click here to visit our site for details on the events!
