Former University of Hawaii football standout Chad Owens grew emotional this week while setting up his former Aloha Stadium locker with memorabilia from his playing days.
“It just feels like yesterday when I ran out to that field for the first time,” he said Wednesday.
“Aloha Stadium — I mean, what can I say? It’s historic. It’s been part of this community, part of you guys forever, my whole life as a kid growing up dreaming of playing here.”
Those memories will be on full display Saturday when the 47-year-old stadium opens its doors to the public one last time for an event called “Aloha from Aloha Stadium” from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The day will feature field goal kicking, a final walk out by UH Head Coach Timmy Chang and the Rainbow Warrior football team, and unguided tours of parts of the stadium not usually open to the public, including the locker rooms, and a Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame display and prized UH sports memorabilia.
There also will be entertainment, food trucks, a beer concession, the regular swap meet with around 400 vendors, a keiki art zone and opportunities to meet well-known sportscasters and UH athletes.
The Stadium Authority is hoping the rusting, 50,000-seat venue will be demolished in 2024 and replaced by a smaller facility by 2027, although there’s a lot of uncertainty about whether that timeline is feasible.
On Wednesday the media was given a sneak peek of the stadium, all dressed up with memorabilia from games and various concerts and functions over the years.
“It’s a mixed-emotion event,” said Ryan Andrews, stadium manager. “On one hand, we’re thrilled to be celebrating a facility that has served as the gathering place for Hawaii for 47 years. Also, we’re excited to be pivoting toward a future, one we believe will be brighter.
“But it’s also sad because this facility holds a lot of emotions and a lot of experiences that are near and dear to people’s hearts and minds.”
Andrews said the stadium has hosted concerts by some of the world’s most popular entertainers, including Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, U2 and The Eagles, and featured sporting events with some of the greatest athletes.
“It definitely served its mission in providing great entertainment to this state,” he said.
At the same time, the stadium has served as a community facility with high school graduations, swap meets and countless local events.
For Saturday, admission prices range from free to $10, depending on visit time slots. The free slot from 10 to 11:30 a.m. is all booked up, but officials said they may allow a limited number of walk-ups if there’s room.
From noon to 4 p.m., the price is $7 per person, while from 5 to 9 p.m. it’s $10 per person. Children age 12 and under accompanied by an adult get in free. Tickets are available at aloha-stadium.eventbrite.com.
State officials have been working for more than a decade on plans to transform the stadium’s 98-acre site into an entertainment district with a new stadium surrounded by retail, restaurants, homes and a hotel produced by a private developer or developers and financed by a mix of private capital and $350 million in Hawaii taxpayer funding.
But the project has undergone a number of changes over the years and its future remains uncertain.
In December 2020, the Stadium Authority closed the stands due to high maintenance costs and lack of revenue amid COVID-19 restrictions. That move forced UH to retrofit its Clarence T.C. Ching practice field in Manoa with stands for the 2021 football season and beyond.
John Veneri, a former UH slotback and now radio play-by-play voice for the Warriors, said Aloha Stadium has always been important to him, going back to the 1970s when he and his dad came to see Islander baseball games. He saw college Hula Bowls and NFL Pro Bowls at the stadium and later played there with Kamehameha Schools.
Veneri played his UH football in Aloha Stadium in the early 1990s.
“Every one of my highlights is from this place,” Veneri said.
“It’s really sad to see it go,” he said, “but now as a broadcaster of all the UH football games, I’m looking forward to what’s new, the possibilities in the future.”
For more information about Aloha from Aloha Stadium, go to alohastadium.hawaii.gov/home/ closing-event.
