We will be on Oahu for the 4th of July, and while my husband and I could care less about it, we have kids, so our holidays aren’t exactly our own! 
Are there any celebrations that Dopers have attended? Any to avoid? Frankly, we might even go to a protest by a Hawaiian sovereignty group! 
Any ideas, suggestions or dire warnings would be welcome!
Hawaii has a really strong Asian influence. As a result, any reason to set off fireworks become a who-has-the-biggest-chain-of-Chinese-style-crazy-loud-type-firecrackers contest. Expect the streets to be filled with smoke and noise and bits of red paper. July 4 isn’t as nuts as New Year’s, but it’s still fun.
If you have local friends, just hanging out with them, setting off chains in the street, will be as authentic an experience as you can get.
If you don’t have local friends, you can go to the Ala Moana shopping center (I’m 80% sure they do a 4th of July show. It’s been a few years). There may also be a fireworks display set off from the windward end of Waikiki. If you’re in Kailua, fireworks will be set off from Flat Island, just off shore from Kailua beach. Pearl City will have a display set off from the Harbor.
If you want to create your own local type experience, go BBQ at the beach. Whereabouts on the island are you staying, Waikiki? If so, escape to the Windward side. Kailua Beach is quiet and sandy and has a good park for BBQ at the end closer to Lanikai. As you come down the Pali Highway into Kailua, you’ll come across a couple of grocery stores. Grab yourself a $20 Hibachi, some coals, eats and drinks, and head out to the beach. Kids play in the sand, you watch the coals, and everybody just relaxes until nightfall.
Crap, now I miss home 
ETA: the Sovereignty groups probably won’t have anything going on and, if they do, you won’t be welcome there.
Totally take advantage of the fireworks thing. I grew up there, and it’s one of the things I totally miss, living on the mainland. Shell out a hundred bucks on a variety of stuff and go to town.
We will be out a ways from the “cities” at Kapolei. I thought I might check into whatever is going on at Pearl, it might be very powerful.
Or we might just grab a bunch of explosives and head to the beach, somewhere away from the crowds!
True. It’s just that a protest always sounds more fun than a rally…
(You guessed correctly that we are haole)