History of the Waialua Bandstand

By Kendra Martyn

This lovely bandstand sits near the old banyan trees in the small park across from the Waialua Library. Free concerts have been held there on the first Sunday of every month since the summer of 2004. Have you noticed it? Have you gone to one of the free concerts?

Many people that live in Waialua today know nothing about the history of this bandstand. However, during the Waialua Library’s annual “Heritage Days” in 1997 an earlier bandstand under these same trees was remembered.

Some people reminisced about an old bandstand that was a community gathering place where one could buy peanuts and 10-cent hotdogs and listen to concerts, even the Royal Hawaiian Band, or watch a May Day program or a boxing match. The Waialua Sugar Mill even used it as a stage for Christmas plays. It was also a popular location for community picnics. Other old timers remembered it as a “gathering place” for members of different plantation camps to visit and share dances and music. In later years, it was remembered as being a meeting place for union members.

Interestingly, some people remembered a cute, multisided bandstand and others remembered a foursided stage with a roof. A picture of the four- sided stage with a roof taken in the 1930’s was found but no picture of the cute multisided bandstand ever surfaced. This bandstand was actively used during the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s and was thought to have been torn down in the 1950’s.

The Waialua Sugar Mill had been the backbone of the community until it closed in 1996 and people were concerned that the sugar mill community would lose its closeness and spirit. The stories told of this old Waialua gathering place inspired several community members in 1997 to begin organizing an effort to create a new bandstand—hoping it could be a new gathering place for neighbors and friends in the Waialua community.

The timing for undertaking such a project was perfect because Mayor Jeremy Harris had just released his 21st Century Oahu Project, which was a community-based visioning program giving neighborhoods some control and funding priority for their own community development, urban planning, and beautification projects.

From 1997 through 1999 the community gathered support for a new bandstand from many people and organizations. In 1999 the North shore Neighborhood Board gave its recommendation to the City and County to build the bandstand.

In 2001 the City and County of Honolulu purchased the 1.2-acre parcel across from the library from Dole Foods and plans for development and construction of the new bandstand in the park began. In August of 2002 a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of the construction, and in 2003 the nonprofit organization, Friends of the Waialua Bandstand, was formed. The purpose of the organization was for “charitable and educational purposes of assisting, encouraging, and promoting musical, cultural, and educational programs at the bandstand in the Waialua Park.” On May 1, 2004, the new bandstand was dedicated with the Royal Hawaiian Band providing musical entertainment to many visitors.

Friends of Waialua Bandstand in the Park continues to offer free concerts to the community on the first Sunday of every month. It also provide music support for students in our elementary and high schools. The organization would love to have more members to help carry out its missions. Also if you are a musician and would like to play for our community please let us know by coming to see us at our table at one of the Sunday concerts or contacting the secretary, kendramartyn@yahoo.com. There is much we can do together share music and build community spirit.

Enjoy the concert Sunday, October 2nd, 4pm the Waialua Bandstand presents “The Time Travelers.”