SATURDAY

>> Young and old entertain at annual magic festival

Enjoy the magic of Christmas, or the magic of the New Year, or just magic, period, at the seventh annual Hawaii Magic Festival.

The Kaimuki High School Auditorium will be full of magic acts, from young and old magicians alike, and for young and old magic fans too. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with a gaggle of “strolling” magic acts, where you can see the tricks up andclose and personal (and try to figure them out.)

The main stage show begins at 7 p.m.. This year’s show takes on a Chinese touch with the appearance of Jade, the first woman to win a gold medal from the International Brotherhood of Magicians. The San Francisco-based entertainer uses anumber of items familiar to Chinese — fans, parasols, Chinese rice bowls — in her act, turning rice into water and paper into floating butterflies, raised aloft by her fan. She’s appeared on shows like “Penn & Teller Fool Us” and “The CraigFerguson Show.”

Plenty of local talent will take the stage as well, including kid performers like Brown Bags to Stardom winner Michelle Lee, an 11-year-old who does classic magic illusions; Kelvin Chun, a teacher and competitive magician; and emcee Curtis Kam, the “King of Coins,” who has performed at The Magic Castle in Hollywood.

MONDAY

>> Moshe Kasher brings his self-deprecating humor to Hawaii

Comedian Moshe Kasher brings his aggressively self-deprecating humor to Hawaiian Brian’s for an almost-New Year’s Eve performance.

Kasher makes no bones about being a Jewish comic. “You don’t go to hell for laughing at the jokes,” he says in one bit about using profanity in humor. “I go there for writing them, that’s how that works. And I was going there anyway becauseI’m a Jew. That’s where we end up.”

After playing San Francisco Bay Area comedy clubs for several years, Kasher had a breakout year in 2009 when he garnered appearances at comedy festivals in Aspen and Montreal and released his first album, “Everyone You Know Is Going toDie, and Then You Are,” which iTunes named one of its top 20 comedy albums that year. In 2010, he appeared on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” sending him on to several other late-night talk shows, including “Late Night with JimmyFallon” and “Conan,” which has hosted him several times.

Kasher brings a lot of family into his humor, and what an interesting family it is. His parents are deaf, and his father turned to Hasidic Judaism, while his mother was a free spirited type who took off to California with him as a toddler and puthim in therapy when he was 4. He documented it all in his autobiography, “Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16.”

He’s also brought humor into the family, having married fellow comic Natasha Leggero (who appeared with him here in 2016 and performs with Bill Maher on New Year’s Eve) in 2015. Kasher and Leggero explored the ups and downsof relationships in a Comedy Central series called “The Honeymoon Tour” in 2017, which was used as a basis for a Netflix special released earlier this year. Leggero was pregnant at the time, and they just had the baby, so maybe there will besome infant jokes at Kasher’s show – at the least, infantile jokes will arise.

MONDAY

>> Events galore to ring in the new year

No matter where you are on the island, there’s plenty to do for New Year’s Eve. It’s hard to pick favorites, but here’s a few to get you thinking.

>> Mah jong, anyone? Get your “Crazy Rich Asians” mode going at 53 By The Sea, which is sponsoring a “Casino Night in Macau” event with gourmet hors d’oeuvres, premium cocktails, casino-inspired games and entertainment. Black-tie attire optional. 9 p.m.-1 a.m., 53 Ahui St. $150-$500 VIP per couple. 21+. 536-5353, 53bythesea.com/nye.

>> It’s an evening for percussionists. Not only is Sheila E. at Blue Note Hawaii, but Chris Berry, a master of African drumming, drops by at Kanu Farm in Waimanalo. Berry studied with traditional tribes in Africa for 10 years and hasperformed with Eminem, Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, jazz artist Paul Winter and others. 6 p.m., Kanu Farm, 41-984 Kakaina Place, Waimanalo. $50, $35 in advance. minjasmagicks.com

>> Enjoy a circus-like New Year’s Eve at The Moana Surfrider, which is holding an “Under the Banyan Big Top” celebration. The family-oriented celebration includes balloon animals, jugglers, face painting and photo booth, plus music by DJ BabyG and views of fireworks off Waikiki Beach. 8 p.m. on the pool deck. $75-$125, private tables and cabanas available. Tickets: honoluluboxoffice.com. Tables and cabanas: 924-4778, mengna.jiang@marriott.com.

TUESDAY-THURSDAY

>> Japanese shrine events celebrate New Year’s Day

If you’re more into New Year’s Day than New Year’s Eve, there’s plenty do as well, starting right at midnight, when two local Japanese shrines will be holding a traditional Hatsumode blessing. Or join a parade in Lanikai.

>> At Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha — Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu, visitors can lay the groundwork for a prosperous year by getting “bitten” by a Japanese Shishi lion and drinking sake infused with gold flakes. Ozoni mochi soup, another harbinger ofgood fortune, will be available for sharing from midnight to 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Up to 10,000 visitors are expected for this free event, so take advantage of parking and shuttle from Damien Memorial School, 1401 Houghtailing St. Theshrine is at 1239 Olomea St. e-shrine.org

>> At the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii, visitors can receive ofuda (talisman) and omamori (amulet). The items are said to provide protection of businesses, homes and people. That’s from midnight to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and if you can’tmake it on Tuesday, you can go from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday as well. The shrine is at 215 N. Kukui St. 538-7778, izumotaishahawaii@gmail.com.

>> While there will be parades galore on TV, Lanikai will have its own parade: the 51st annual Woes Day Parade and Recovery Party. As the name suggests, it’s for those who partied a bit too hard on New Year’s Eve, so the parade is a short one –paraders circle Lanikai Park, starting at 9 a.m, and then there’s a nice breakfast to settle your stomach. A Dixieland Jazz band and live art will provide entertainment. 9 a.m. parade, 9:30 a.m. breakfast. ($5 for breakfast). 295-3856