Taste of Waipahu 2026: Nov. 7 on Depot Street

Twenty years of eating together in Waipahu

Some of the best ways to learn a neighborhood start with lining up for food, and Waipahu has been doing that every year for two decades. The Waipahu Community Association will hold its 20th annual Taste of Waipahu from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, between Waipahu Depot and Hikimoe streets, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The festival’s stated goal is to support Waipahu’s economic, social and cultural life.

The association calls the Taste a “communal table” for the many cultures that make up the town, a place where local chefs, restaurateurs and home cooks share their food.

What’s cooking

The Star-Advertiser’s preview names a few vendors to look for:

• Hawaiian Honey Cones, with J-shaped corn cones filled with Hokkaido or ube ice cream
• Aloha Senbei, with thin, crispy pressed crackers in shrimp, beef or pork
• Ono Viet, with spring rolls, bánh mì and Thai tea
• Waba Snacks, with bite-sized mini taiyaki and a choice of fillings

The full vendor list is posted on the festival’s Instagram, @tasteofwaipahu.

Organizers also shared the lineup at the Waipahu Neighborhood Board’s Sept. 24 meeting, according to a detailed write-up by Waipahu-area real estate agent Alicia Fu of Creative Properties Realty: more than 30 food and craft vendors, student entertainment, a kendama tournament and the theme “building a stronger community.” The same write-up says the association is presenting this year’s event with Kamehameha Schools.

A festival that keeps moving

Over the years the Taste has set up wherever there was room. Fu’s write-up traces that history through earlier news coverage: Waipahu Festival Marketplace on Depot Street in 2012, the Don Quijote parking lot on Farrington Highway for the 17th edition in 2023, and August Ahrens Elementary School for the 19th last year. This year the festival moves onto two public streets near the Pouhala/Waipahu Transit Center Skyline station, a stretch where the city’s transit-oriented development plans and Kamehameha Schools’ proposed Keawalau at Waipahū project both call for redevelopment.

Plan around the road closures

Closing two streets for a festival means traffic changes, and the times on record don’t all agree. Here is what’s been published so far. All of it should be confirmed before Nov. 7.

• Closures: Fu’s account of the board meeting says Depot Street will be closed from Farrington Highway to the Waipahu Plantation Marketplace entrance, and Hikimoe Street from Depot to Kahuailani, with barricades going up around noon. It also notes that the city’s 2026 street-use schedule lists closure hours of about 2 to 11 p.m., with about 6,000 people expected.
• Parking: According to the same account, organizers said Waipahu Festival Market parking will stay accessible, the YMCA has offered extra spaces, and talks were underway with the Filipino Community Center and a United Church of Christ congregation.
• Getting there: If you live nearby, walking is probably your best bet. Skyline’s Pouhala/Waipahu Transit Center station sits at the edge of the festival area. No extended train hours have been announced for this year, so check Skyline’s schedule before you plan a late ride home.

Oahu Local has asked the Waipahu Community Association and the city Department of Transportation Services to confirm closure times and parking. We’ll update this story when we hear back.

Before you go

• When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 4 to 9 p.m.
• Where: Waipahu Depot Street and Hikimoe Street, Waipahu
• Cost: Admission was free last year, according to past coverage cited by Fu. Vendors set their own prices. Bring cash as a backup.
• More info: wcawaipahu.org and @tasteofwaipahu on Instagram

Also on Saturday, Nov. 7: Jai for a cause

If you’re spending the day on the food trail, the Star-Advertiser also reports that Tzu Chi Hawaii is selling vegan jai as a Giving Tuesday fundraiser. Each 20-ounce container is $28, cash or check only. Orders are due by Nov. 4, and pickup is from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 at the group’s Kaimukī office, 1238 Wilhelmina Rise.

Keep exploring: find more things to do on Oahu this week, check the Waipahu events calendar, or browse our guide to Waipahu restaurants.

Sources

• Honolulu Star-Advertiser (TGIF Quick Bites), “Waipahu’s got flavor,” Jocelyn Lansangan (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/10/28/tgif/quick-bites/waipahus-got-flavor/
• Creative Properties Realty blog (Alicia Fu), “Taste of Waipahu Turns 20 on Depot Street, Where Waipahu’s Next Gathering Place Is Planned” (Oct. 29, 2026). Summarizes the Waipahu Neighborhood Board’s Sept. 24 meeting, the city street-use schedule and past news coverage: https://cprealtyhi.com/blog/taste-of-waipahu-turns-20-on-depot-street-where-waipahus-next-gathering-place-is-planned
• Waipahu Community Association, Taste of Waipahu project page: https://www.wcawaipahu.org/projects/taste-of-waipahu
• Neighborhood Board No. 22 (Waipahu) page, for minutes (the docushare minutes file could not be retrieved today): https://www.honolulu.gov/nco/nb22/

Editor’s note: The road closure and parking details come from a real-estate agent’s blog post that summarizes the board meeting and city schedule. We could not open the official board minutes, so please treat these details as preliminary and check official notices before you go.