No More Parade at Pearl City Shopping Center: Where Pearl City's Halloween Goes This Year

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, about fifty keiki in costume gathered outdoors on the upper level of Pearl City Shopping Center near Bank of Hawaii. They lined up for the costume contest and then walked the trick-or-treat route past the participating merchants. That turned out to be the final one.

On October 1, MyPearlCity reported that the Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association will no longer hold its annual Halloween Costume Contest and Trick or Treat Parade. The association had put on the event for a few decades. Where the merchants sent their support instead shows where Pearl City's Halloween night will be on October 31.

From 300 Keiki to 50

According to MyPearlCity, the parade drew more than three hundred keiki and their ohana at its peak. By 2025 it was down to fifty. The association gave two reasons for ending it: Chuck E. Cheese closed last year, and participation had been falling.

Volunteers ran registration, judging, the awards ceremony and the parade route every year, and the merchants donated cash prizes for the costume contest. The announcement thanks Irwin Santos, the center's events coordinator, who now leads its events team.

The Merchants' Money Follows the Party to Momilani

This year the association is sponsoring the Pearl City Foundation's annual Halloween Bash, which will be held on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, at the Momilani Community Center. The merchants are giving the Bash a $500 check for trick-or-treat candy and costume-contest prizes.

So the costume contest families knew from the shopping center has, in effect, moved to Momilani, paid for in part by the same merchants. If your keiki looked forward to the parade, the Bash is where that contest happens now.

The Pearl City Foundation lists the Halloween Bash as "coming soon" for Saturday, October 31, 2026. The Foundation's office is at 715 Hoomoana St. Its homepage does not yet show a start time, admission details or a list of activities. Check the Foundation's events page for the flyer before you go.

A Saturday Halloween Stretches Across the Week

Halloween usually lands on a weeknight, which squeezes everything into a couple of hours after work and school. This year October 31 is a Saturday, and the events around Pearl City spread from the weekend of Oct. 24–25 through Halloween night. Pearlridge Center and its farmers market have ʻAiea mailing addresses, but they sit right next door to Pearl City.

The Pearlridge Candy Crawl falls on Thursday, so younger keiki get a full indoor trick-or-treat two days before Halloween. That leaves Saturday open for something else. Honolulu Magazine's Halloween roundup lists the Candy Crawl as free and family-friendly.

Saturday morning starts at the Pearlridge Farmers Market. Its Halloween edition runs 8 a.m. to noon and includes a costume contest for dogs. That makes it the one event this week where the family dog can dress up too.

Saturday Night Comes Down to Two Pearl City Venues

With the shopping center parade gone, Halloween night in Pearl City happens in two places run by community groups.

The first is the Foundation's Bash at Momilani Community Center, with candy and costume prizes paid for in part by the shopping center merchants. If your family went to the parade for the costume contest, this is the closest thing to it.

The second is Calvary Chapel Honolulu's Family Fun Night. Aloha State Daily reported that the church is bringing the free event back by popular demand, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, at its Pearl City location at 98-1016 Komo Mai Dr. Here is what the outlet listed:

1. Game booths run by the church and its school families
2. Live Hawaiian and island reggae music by Chauncy Kawika Bermodez
3. Bounce houses and play areas
4. A kendama contest

The church's own event page still shows last year's date, so go by the Aloha State Daily article for the 2026 details.

Both Saturday-night events happen in Pearl City itself, at a community center and a church, not at a mall. A Momilani or Komo Mai family can stay close to home all evening.

Skyline's Trick-or-Treat Skips Pearl City's Stations

Some families may think of riding Skyline for Halloween. The City's Department of Transportation Services has announced Safe Trick-or-Treating on Skyline 2026. Riders collect stamps on a card at five stations: Kualakaʻi East Kapolei, Honouliuli Hoʻopili, Hōʻaeʻae West Loch, Hālawa Aloha Stadium and Kahauiki Kalihi Transit Center. Pearl Highlands and Pearlridge are not on the list. The page says times and details are still to come, so check it before you plan a ride.

From Pearl City, the nearest participating stops are Hōʻaeʻae West Loch to the west and Hālawa Aloha Stadium to the east. You would ride past your own station to reach either one. Families who want to fit in the stamp challenge will need to plan around whatever time DTS announces, so it doesn't clash with the Saturday-evening events at home.

Feeding the Costumed Crew First

Since Halloween falls on a weekend, you have time for a sit-down meal. Two recent Pearl City openings line up with the schedule.

Kam Bowl opened its Pearl City location on August 1 in the former IHOP space at Times Square Shopping Center, 98-1264 Kaʻahumanu St., Ste. B03, according to Aloha State Daily. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., so it works for breakfast before the farmers market or an early dinner before Momilani or Komo Mai Drive.

Dang Cha by Couture is on the second floor of Stuart Plaza at 941 Kamehameha Hwy. It serves Vietnamese iced coffee, matcha, smoothies, milk tea and banh mi. Aloha State Daily listed banh mi at $12 to $14 and signature drinks at $7 to $8. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed only on Tuesdays, so it's open on Halloween Saturday but closes before the evening events. Stop in for a midday drink between the market and the evening.

For Teens Who Have Outgrown Candy

The Pearl City events above are built for keiki. Older kids have two options a short drive west in Waipahu.

Hawaiʻi's Plantation Village runs its Haunted Plantation from 7 to 11 p.m. on Oct. 23–25 and Oct. 30–31. Admission is $20 plus a $1 online reservation fee, reservations are required, and the attraction is for ages 12 and up, according to Honolulu Magazine. The Oct. 23–25 nights come a week before Halloween.

Mercado de la Raza is holding a free Día de Muertos community gathering on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m. at 94-1259 Hulukupuna St., with food, music and cultural exhibits. It starts early enough to fit in before a later stop back in Pearl City.

Event details can change, so check each organizer's page before you load everyone into the car. The Pearl City Foundation's Bash flyer is the one to watch.

If your family's Halloween used to center on the parade at Pearl City Shopping Center, this year it may move to Momilani or Komo Mai Drive. If you're thinking about how your own neighborhood routines fit your plans for home, I'm glad to talk it through whenever it suits you. Alicia Fu is a Pearl City broker who keeps up with local changes like these. Let's Connect.