Ward Village Courtyard

I took two kids to Ice Skating on Wednesday December 16^th at around 5p and it was melting there was water all on the rink due to it being hot that day. There were lots of people all trying to avoid all the water so it just crowded everyone. And for 15.00 per person for not a lot of space.

The Ward Village Courtyard is a multi-​use space which helps build a sense of community in Kakaako. My experiences in the courtyard have been mostly with the monthly courtyard cinema and courtyard brunch events.
For the courtyard cinema, they show excellent independent foreign films, documentaries, and local films for FREE. It’s as simple as reserving tickets online and printing out the tickets beforehand. Make sure you reserve tickets as soon as you can. Never mind if the showing is two months away. Book it now, Danno! On the evening of the showing you stand in line beforehand around 1730, and you’re let you in at 1800. Most times the movie doesn’t start until 1900. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are for sale in the back or you can always pregame at Ryan’s Grill or Kincaid’s for happy hour.
As for the courtyard brunch, I’ve been a total of 3 times. Plenty of communal sitting areas. It’s nIce and casual, so you don’t need to dress up. The food can range from small bites/​soups to large breakfast dishes from the likes of Nook Neighborhood Bistro, MW, Pig and the Lady, Morimoto’s, Jonathan Mizukami, and La Tour. The best deal is purchasing the $ 25 bundle of three food tickets and one drink ticket. Keep in mind that you do not need to buy the $ 25 special beforehand on Eventbrite. If you want to save some cash (~$ 2), you can just buy the $ 25 special the day of when you show up at the courtyard. And if you want more drinks or plates of food, you can always purchase more.
Couple more words of advice:
1) Both the courtyard cinema and courtyard brunch events are great potential date ideas. This is just an assumption…
2) If something looks fishy with your lawn chair at the cinema, don’t be afraid to say something to the friendly and helpful staff. The fix is probably as simple as replacing the plastic rod which keeps the canvas sheet in place. :)
3) If you’re on a budget or diet, share your food during brunch with your friends/​lovers so you still get to taste everything but not feel as guilty.

I’ve wondered how often the Brunch event at Ward Village Courtyard takes place, and I recently got the opportunity to go. I went with a friend who was visiting and we enjoyed a great sampling of food.
I found out that the brunch features a different theme each month; «Oktoberfest» was the theme for October. One of my other friends was working at the event, so my friend and I didn’t have to pay to get in.
How it works: you get tickets and at each food station, you can trade in one of your tickets for what’s being offered. I was excited to see the different selections from reputable businesses in the food industry, including The Pig & the Lady, The Nook Neighborhood Bistro, Whole Foods, EAT, MW Restaurant and more.
My friend and I enjoyed our smörgåsbord of lunch offerings, but sitting under the tent was really hot on that particular Sunday. Unfortunately, it only got cool when the event was ready to conclude around 1 p.m.
I was grateful that I got to check out this monthly event. Here’s what we got:
«MW: Beer-​Braised Pork Belly + Braised Red Cabbage»: This was the first dish I tried during our brunch fest. The beer-​braised pork belly was a little tougher than I expected, but it paired nicely with the braised red cabbage. Pork belly is a newfound favorite of mine, so I always relish the opportunity to try different types.
«Eat: Riesling Braised Pork Belly + Hamakua Mushroom Truffled Mustard + Pickled Local Cabbage»: Both EAT and MW had a pork belly dish, but I really liked the EAT version because it was slightly softer, more buttery and savory and flavorful. But I’m sure that mushroom truffled mustard helped! The pork belly was so soft that it hardly stood up on its own on my plate! The mustard was savory and I enjoyed the chunks of mushroom throughout.
«Kope Coffee Catering Co.: Milk Tea + Espresso»: Since it was so hot under the brunch tent, I ended up getting two of these drinks. The milk tea was refreshing and I liked the subtle espresso taste. I was just glad that the cup was a decent size (not a super small sample size) and I downed the drink in a matter of minutes.
«The Nook Neighborhood Bistro: Fresh Pretzels + Sausage & Lager Cheese Fondue + Sauerkrat»: I think this was my favorite food item of the day (besides the gelato). I like soft pretzels over hard, crisp pretzels, and this pupu came with two soft pretzel sticks. It came paired with a cheesy, buttery fondue that had chunks of sauerkraut in it. The cheese blend consisted of sharp cheddar, aged fontina, gruyère and cream cheese; I loved the mixture because it featured some of my favorite cheeses (namely cheddar and gruyère). I still had a lot of the leftover cheese fondue even after I polished off my pretzel, so I just used my fingers to not waste any part of the fondue. If I didn’t want to sample all the other offerings, I would have gotten multiples of this dish.
«The Pig & the Lady: House-​Smoked Kielbasa Betelnut + Fermented Mustard Cabbage»: When my friend started eating this, she warned me that the sausage was a little dry, but I still enjoyed it anyway. It had a great smoky taste and I liked the purée it was bathed in (not sure what was in it, but it added a welcomed flavor). I didn’t eat too much of the mustard cabbage, but I do love sausage in of itself so I was pleased with the chewiness and texture.
«Whole Foods: German Apple Streusel Gelato + Apple Walnut Compote»: This was a great way to conclude our brunch experience at Ward. My cup came with a lot of the apple compote, but I liked the apple streusel gelato flavor — the cinnamon fragrance and taste was prevalent, and the waffle crisp that adorned it complemented perfectly. It wasn’t overly sweet but it definitely reminded me of a warm, baked apple pie. The compote added a certain stickiness and fruity component to the dessert, but I just wanted that gelato, straight up … before it started melting in the heat.

I initially heard about the Courtyard events from fellow Unilocalers when I attended Courtyard Cinema. I was shocked to find the adorable nook in Ward where we could watch movies with the sun setting around us, a light breeze flowing through the trees and a bar in the back. Nice chairs, free popcorn… How had I never heard about this?!? I like that Ward Village makes a diverse selection of movie choices for these events. After a few months of this I heard they were coming out with a Courtyard Brunch. OH MY GOD, do I love brunch. Yup, I’m one of those people. My schedule never worked out and I kept missing them but recently after attending a YKB event that was in the area, I realized it was Courtyard Brunch day and we were down the block. I convinced the boyfriend we needed to go and BAM, dreams do come true.
We wandered in where very classy ladies were handing out pre paid ticket bundles & luckily we could still purchase those. For $ 25 a person you get three food tickets and one drink. You could also desperately buy individual tickets for $ 7 to use on each item offered. We grabbed out two bundles & went to check out our selections. There were 5 or 6 restaurant/​chef booths with yummy food options from places like MW restaurant & Whole Foods, Nalo Juice Company had some fresh local fruit juice, an espresso/​latte station and in the back a bar with a variety of brunch cocktails with a twist. Sunday fun day for the win! It was extremely hard to pick items out, everything sounded spectacular but between the two of us, we knew we could try six items so in we dived, starting with Jonathan Mizukami who made my mouth water with pain Perdu and black truffle ice cream; by far my favorite dish. He also had a lovely whipped scrambled egg over bacon, roasted romaine & Parmesan. Primo Popcorn had a warm Belgian waffle topped with Sriracha honey butter, flash frozen ice cream & maple syrup caramel — yummy! The Nook offered up a delicious blini trio: ikura, crime fraiche & chive; egg salad, bacon & tomato Xavier; and gravlax, capers, onions & dill. They were tasty bites & we almost went back for seconds. Pig and the Lady made a brightly tasting ‘phở-​konomiyaki,’ their take on an okonomiyaki. I loved the layers of flavor. EAT Café was our last bite & we liked the heavy seasoning on their Molokai sweet potato satay drizzled with white truffle oil over waipoli greens & a sprinkling of black sea salt. It was vibrant to taste and pretty to look at. Drink wise, I went for their take on a Bloody Mary while my boyfriend tried Nalo Juice. The coffee would have won me over if it wasn’t for the line [looked worth it though].
I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this event was; it was nicer than I imagined and they had tables and chairs set up galore to make your experience comfortable. Servers cleaned up constantly and I found it easier to find a spot than you’d think. I recommend this to anyone who doesn’t like to choose and wants to try a variety plus any foodies. We had a lovely morning hanging out under the canopy enjoying delicious bites & the happy energy of people brunching. Definitely check out these Courtyard events if you can!

Ward Village Courtyard is one of many hidden gems in the Ward Center area of Honolulu. This walled area is located behind the IBM Building along Ala Moana Boulevard and is used for special events. It is a large green open area with stones and grass. Fountains line the wall along the road. Along Queen St. is a covered lanai area that sometimes serves as a bar, also with water elements.
My main reason for coming here is the Ward Village Courtyard Cinema, that is so gracious put on once a month by the Howard Hughes Corporation in partnership with the Hawai’i International Film Festival. Films are screened inside a large tent and are free to the public (tickets are required and are available online before the event). Entertainment often accompanies the films, which varies greatly depending on the theme or country of the film. Be sure to arrive early to sit in the comfortable folding beach chairs that are based on the ones at the Cannes Film Festival. Popcorn is also donated by the Consolidated Theatre. Rotating food trucks provide catering for the event, but with high prices it’s often helpful to go to one of Ward’s many great restaurants for take-​out.

This review is for the food truck The Pig and the Lady at the courtyard cinema on August 13, 2015. I was looking forward to a delicious dinner when I saw the Pig and the Lady food truck. As I watched the female server fill my cup with ice for my iced coffee drink, I asked that she not put soo much ice (ice over the brim of the cup). She gave me a stunned and dirty look and replied that their drinks are condensed so it might be sweet. Then she said she won’t be able to fill the drink to the top and filled it about half way. What a rip off!!! She could have charged me half price for half of the order she gave me. And to top things off, my drink WASN’T sweet. It was just right since she filled only half the cup with ice and coffee. I’ve patronized this truck many times before at other locations, but not anymore. I’ll take my business elsewhere!
The Korean movie Miss Granny was very entertaining. Excellent venue!

Woop Woop! My first Unilocal Elite Event! And at such a nice venue. It was a bit hot under that tent but then… it is August.
We attended the Courtyard Brunch event here today and got to taste many interesting offerings. When checking in we were given a canvas bag with some interesting goodies and three food cards and a drink card with which to peruse the offerings from several local restaurants.
We tried items from Whole Foods Market, EAT café, Jonathan Mizukami, Primo Popcorn, Nalo Juice and Kope Coffee Catering Co. See photos for their menus. Everything was very tasty and some were very inventive.
Whole Foods’ Chilled Carrot Ginger soup was our favorite with EAT café’s sweet potato satay a close second. The Primo Popcorn offering was really interesting but they added a bacon topping without telling us and we are vegetarian. We tasted it, realized what it was and kicked the topping aside. Not a huge deal, but they should be more aware and either list the bacon on the menu or tell people so they can opt out. We do appreciate the creativity that went into their offering. They were flash freezing their popcorn. Not sure what that does (makes it super crispy on a humid day?) but it was tasty.
We also tried Jonathan Mizukami’s Pain Perdu with truffle ice cream. It was rich and tasty. We had the Mokulua juice from Nalo Juice and an espresso from Kope. The espresso was a New York pull where the amount of ground coffee is almost double the amount in a typical, authentic Italian pull. The result is a thick, syrupy, and bitter espresso that was (thankfully) served in an appropriately-​sized cup. This is the same type you will get in many places in NYC and here locally at The Curb. Not how I like it but it is a thing. At Kobe, there was also a tip cup that I thought was in poor taste. Especially since no one else was soliciting tips.
Nook, one of our favorite places in the ‘hood, was present but their offering was not vegetarian. :(
Anyway, we had a fun time trying all the different items and have decided to visit EAT café and possibly attend Jonathan Mizukami’s pasta night tomorrow.

Wow!
Like to Say Very Much Mahalo Ward Village!
for putting on fun events for the public at your Courtyard.
My very 1^st time @ Ward Village, I attended the HIFF movie: Rudderless,
2^nd time: Pitch Perfect Movie
&
Just recently: Kona Nui Nights– a Hawaiian Performance with Hula Show + Robi Kahakakalau & Jeff Rasmussen.
Parking is not a problem @ TJ Maxx
Convenient & we just walked over across to Ward Village.
Thank you for the comfortable lawn chairs,
Note: there are very limited chairs & on a first come first serve
Thank you for the popcorn @ the HIFF movie showings
Note: limited popcorn bags & on a first come first serve
& Wow! the bathroom is very impressive
Check out the bathroom, feels like I’m in Vegas
Alcoholic beverages available for purchase at the little bar near the bathroom.
& food available– food vendors varies.
I really enjoy all these events you put on for us, looking forward to next courtyard cinema:
Miss Granny.
Another note: Sign up for ward village email, this is where you will get all the upcoming info. on the events @ Ward Village. You will be able to reserve your tickets.
* A ticket confirmation is needed to attend these events.
Come check out one or all of the events Ward Village has to offer, you won’t be disappointed!
& Thank you Howard Hughes! & Thank you for saving the former IBM building!

I attended last night’s awesome courtyard cinema event here. It was a relaxing and effortlessly perfect night for guests, complete w/​swag and cool people galore. There’s a stunning restaurant named Belini’s around the corner, where I’ll venture prior to 6pm next month’s FREE film.
The film was about waste [reduction] and made me feel guilty about not eating all my popcorn. The women who sat beside me (and bought me puerto rican sushi-​YEP) are now my friends. I am also the proud owner of a hard-​core canvas bag for shopping w/​hipster-​esque pizazz.
In short, the cine changed my life. The cool ocean breeze helped me relax. I smiled this morning prior to my coffee, etc. I’ll be back.

Where my Pitches at?!
This was my first time at Ward Courtyard for the Pitch Perfect sing-​a-​long cinema. Not to mention the event fell on Jeana P’s birthday, how ACA-​Awesome!
I must say when I first arrived it was a bit confusing as to where to stand and where to check in. As the check in person was standing amiss the crowd of people and the second person with whom was handing out the yellow handkerchiefs was sorta close to the first lady but not since she was being swarmed about. They also had numerous lines set up, but the lines were as crooked as the crooked man’s street. I was in the fourth line but ended up in the second, getting in quicker *wink*.
While waiting in line you had a few choices of food vendors. I remember two of the vendors, Tin Hut BBQ and Kaka’ako Kitchen. I opted for Kaka’ako Kitchen and got their wagyu beef slider with a sriracha aioli sauce and side chips (potatoes sliced into round crinkled yumminess!). They also had Sriracha popcorn, Oh my GOODNESS, so yummy!
When we entered the gates, I was amazed at how beautifully set the venue was. Huge white canopy enveloping the entire seating area. The chairs were replica’s of the chairs used at the Cannes film festival. Very elegant for an outdoor showing, I thoroughly appreciated the details in the décor.
Since it was a sing-​a-​long event. They did have a little competition where a chosen few had to sing a song that coincided with a secret word written in their envelope. Our own Doug M. had the word ‘Money’. He decided to sing the song «Money, Money, Money»…he threw in a little hip shake while he was at it, lol! He didn’t win first place but he did win movie passes, awesome!
It was a lot more fun watching the movie with a great crowd and fantastic group of friends. Aunty Nadine C has some musical prowess, I loved hearing her singing along! I was really excited for Frankie R, since he never saw Pitch Perfect.
Great event! Got to meet a few new Unilocal people and enjoyed spending time with my Unilocal buddies, Aunty Nadine, Frankie baby, J, Mrs. Judy, Jujubee, Dougie and everyone else. Thank you Unilocal for such awesome events and creating ways for everyone to meet new, exciting and dynamic people.
Later Pitches!

Ward Village Courtyard is located at the old IBM building. #WeAreWard and partnership with HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival) provides a once a month outside movie screening event free of charge to residents of Oahu as long as the attendees provide passes to show proof for attendance.
I’ve attend two outside screening events at the Ward Village Courtyard. My first visit to Ward Village Courtyard was to watch 100 Foot Journey which I was invited by new friend Pam H (the first person I met through Unilocal). That evening was a very cool night. I was able to have my picture taken with DJ Tittahbyte before the screening started. I really enjoyed watching the movie.
My most recent visit to Ward Village Courtyard was for the screening of Pitch Perfect sing a long. A few weeks ago I was asked by both Unilocaler friends Jerrae R. and Judy C. if I could attend the outside screening movie of Pitch Perfect. I had to inform them that «I would have to put in a request off or vacation paid request from work to see if I could have the night off on May 14, 2015… I can’t guarantee if I’ll get the night off. We’ll just have to wait and see when the time comes.» When I found out my schedule for the week I was surprised to get the vacation paid day from work.
The day of the movie I met up with Nadine and we were one of the first ones in line. As 6pm was approaching a lot of the people who had shown their passes to the individuals in charge of the wrist bands received a yellow hanky. I felt so left out since I didn’t have a printed pass on hand and I had to wait for Jerrae R to arrive since she had my pass. When Jerrae finally arrived I got excited and searched for the lady in charge of the wrist band and received my yellow hanky.
Per Nadine’s instructions since we had a big group attending the screening of Pitch Perfect we had to reserve at least 14 chairs. I reserved row 3. No sooner I dropped my sweater on top of the chair the hammock chair collapses. WTH?! It was missing a wooden rod to hold the cloth in place. Lucky thing one of the HIFF workers seen it and grabbed the missing rod for the seat.
Being that Pitch Perfect was a sing a long movie… the MC of the night had audience participation in practicing their singing. The few Unilocal friends of mines who were in attendance that evening seen me get called up on stage. The MC had the entire audience sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. REALLY!!! Who told the MC that May 14^th was my birthday? Was it Nadine? Was it Judy? Was it Jerrae? Was it Doug (who happens to be friends with the MC)? Did my face turn red from being embarrassed for being called up on stage?
Thank you to all the individuals who attended the Pitch Perfect screening for singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. Thank you to the boy who gave me the high five. Thank you to my Unilocal friends who gave me the leis and everyone else who helped me celebrate my 2^nd 21^st birthday LOL.

I am glad to go a courtyard movie! I love this place and it was my very first time to a venue like this! This was a interactive event and I have to say I finally got to see the first Pitch Perfect. .now I am ready to see the sequel to pitch perfect 2 and I can now watch it. I am glad to say that this event was fabulousness as always .I think I need to go to something like this more often and get in with all the action so that I can enjoy myself and at least it is not like the movie theaters which they do ask you to silence your cellphone and refrain from texting while in the movie. I am sooo thankful for judy for getting me the ticket and letting me enjoy the film as well as having a great time at the courtyard cinema at Ward. A huge mahalo for Consolidated Amusement and HIFF for this fabulousness partnership and for Howard Hughes for making this event a fun one and hope to be back. Also mahalo to Raelynn for organizing this event for tonight. Will be back again for another one.

Love the vibe and the atmosphere. HIFF movie nights in an open environment with a mini bar. Bathroom on point. Would love to live here! Lol. Food trucks are available for your hungry appetites. A bit foo foo but that’s my type of scene… reminds me back home in downtown Los Angeles.

Ward Village Courtyard
Boarders used to be at this location before, and it was a great view to get a coffee and watch the ocean in a relaxed way, with a good close parking lot. This has given way to the new Ward Village Courtyard.
As of late– the Ward Village Courtyard has been the area for free monthly HIFF movies. I don’t know if this is part of land grant requirements, trying to get reductions in taxes or out of the goodness of their hearts– but for some or more reasons… the almost always fenced off grounds are open to the public for film screenings.
Instead of concrete and asphalt, they went with modern geodesic mixes between tailored lawn and tiling with the pattern going up the walls that holds cascading waterfalls. OK –I know this architect wants to go to Saudi Arabia to start working on billionaires mansions.
On the inside is the bathrooms– that will confuse and allude the users of where the toilets actually are.
They bring in traveling bars– which I think is unique to this kind of venue. Makes it interesting.

I attended the last Ward Village Cinema movie night and it was fabulous! We watched Laggies on a cool night under the stars. Absolutely loved it and made up my mind that I will try to attend every month. It was a really nice set up with chairs, bathrooms and a bar in the back. This event drew a good crowd. Come early to claim your limited comfortable seats in the front, grab your free popcorn, dinner from the food trucks, watch the sun set and enjoy!

Ward Village Courtyard has been making their area available for free monthly HIFF movies for a while now. I finally got to go about a month ago to watch Hector and the
Pursuit of Happiness.
What a neat venue! When you’re standing outside in the parking lot waiting to get in, there’s a grand sliding gate that gives no impression of what lies behind. The courtyard is flanked by the old IBM building on one side, a bar area, and a full length fountain along Ala Moana Blvd. I think the water does a great job of masking the street noise, and it’s visually appealing as well. The 4^th side of the courtyard is the fence alongside Ward Center.
When we were at the courtyard, it was covered mostly with seating for the movie. Under the seats there were hard pavers interspersed by grassy sections, which I thought looked nice. Someone said that they do yoga on the grassy section.
I am not sure how the courtyard is used besides during yoga and movies, but I would imagine it would make a nice space for outdoor receptions or other gatherings. Perhaps with the addition of tents for sunny daytime things. The only issue would be parking.
Just a few tips for those attending movies: I know this is Hawaii, but when you’re sitting still for hours at a time in the evening, it does get chilly. DO bring warm layers and a blanket! If you’ve got short legs, as comfy as those yellow sling back chairs look, do your back a favor and bring a pillow. I don’t know how the plastic chairs felt, but it’s better to be prepared.

Awesome venue for a open air theater, they put ot about 450 seats and have food trucks, and Jamba Juice for sale outside, They have a bar inside if you want alcohol. Impressive bathroom, we got free popcorn and saw HIFF: HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS to a capacity crowd. The weather was perfect, a little chill in the air but a fun evening.

The Ward Village Courtyard is located on Ala Moana Boulevard side of the former IBM building that is a local iconic structure. Its architect, Vladimir Ossipoff, changed Kaka’ako’s skyline with a six-​story «honeycomb» exterior that today, is considered outdated. Outdated, you say? Mr. Ossipoff designed this building back in the 1960’s for a company who built the super computers for our space programs. These super computers used punch cards and binary codes, I think, Mr. Ossipoff conveyed IBM’s computer business through his design of the exterior. The building is also designed as «strong» block like the computers of yesteryear. But, that’s just my thoughts or interpretation.
Fast forward, the property was purchased and managed by General Growth Properties who, fortunately, did NOT demolish this icon. Enter the Howard Hughes Corporation who has been and is continuing the development of the Kewalo Basin area/Kaka’ako area. The master plan of Ward Village has allowed for this building to serve as a «gateway» to its plans to add more residential units and retail shops to complement the existing entertainment and public areas. Improvements are still coming to existing areas, too. The developers have gone so far as to involve local designers, community leaders and experts to bring a sense of community.
A newspaper article dated January 2014, cited the preservation and renovation of this building. I’m happy to see that the development of Kaka’ako’s skyline will preserve this urban icon. You can see the conversion of the outdated interior as a reflection to the contemporary and sustainable development plan of this community.
Ward Village has created its courtyard to accommodate community cultural events such as screenings of independent films in collaboration with the HIFF. It’s a lovely open-​air area to sit and watch the movies under the stars.