Took the family to the Maui County Fair this year. It was nice to get out and enjoy the fair vibes, but I was a little disappointed with some of the food, didn't really hit the spot. Also there weren't as many local vendors selling handmade or Maui-made items this time around, which I usually love. My kids (2 and 6) had fun on the rides though, and of course the cotton candy was a big hit! They didn't think the games were that fun, but their dad enjoyed playing them overall a decent family outing, but hoping for more local options and better food next year. read more

Maui Fair - Festivals Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

It was nice to see the fair back after five years. I am not the biggest fair person but I know it is important to the community and with so few activities for locals it is nice to see events coming back. It is definitely a new vibe as there was more of a security presence as you entered. The other difference was the fun pass that you had to download. I felt and talking to other people that the app was fairly intrusive requiring a lot of personal information just to be able to use it and no choice to just use it as a guest. So I did not like that. I also feel like they were taking advantage of people with the additional fees for using their own app that you had to use unless you wanted to stand in the mile long lines for cash. The food booths were decent with a lot of new foods but I feel like we were missing some of the old traditional favorites. Or maybe I'm just getting old ! I did enjoy seeing people that I haven't seen in a long time some family and friends. I feel like a lot of the ride options were for the younger crowd. It just seemed like there was not as much for the teenagers and younger adults. I am at the age where I was there more for the food and the social interaction. It would have been nice if they had found a way to include all of the fair in to the one area instead of having some exhibits at the mall. Overall I did enjoy the experience overall I just feel like it was a bit expensive. Especially since we spent $80 just to park and get in. The entertainment was decent. The food was pretty good from most places. The smoke meat plate was not exactly what we expected it was decent. The nachos were pretty good and a decent value, we really enjoyed the elote with the hot Cheetos, the Boba and the sodas were a let down both were very watery and expensive. Like they went as cheap as they could on the mix. The Mahi mahi fish plate was pretty good just small portions, the poke was really good, the gyro was good very skimpy meat portions. But in the end i knew it was going to good causes so overall a good deal and i got to spend time with my family. The one that I really enjoyed was the kulolo Sunday with the Lilikoi butter. Over all the event felt rushed. But it has not happened in five years so that is understandable. read more

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The Maui Fair is a big event here on Maui. One thing that I love about this fair is that they have a special fair day that is reserved primarily for mobility impaired individuals and others with permanent disabilities who cannot attend the Fair during general operating hours. They have a parade that's great but it causes me to take alternate routes leaving work or I just leave early that day lol. We all know that the fair can be costly especially if you have children. Ways to save money on the Maui Fair is to buy tickets ahead of time for admission and also for food. For parking, if you park far then parking is free or you can have someone drop you off. There also a few shuttles from a couple of parking lots around town as well as from Queen Kaahumanu Center. Gone are the days of using EK Fernandez coins. Now you have purchase Fun Pass cards to use on rides, games and EK Fernandez food concessions. To get an initial card you have to spend $20 then you can refill it. If you dont keep track of your balance, you money can easily go to waste especially if you buy multiple cards. My favorites at the fair is the food of course, the entertainment and the local vendors under the tent like Ho'omana and Happy Wahine, the art and photo exhibit and some of the games. I don't care for fair rides like I used to in my younger days but I do enjoy watching and reminiscing of back when I wouldn't get sick on rides and didn't mind crowds and standing in long lines lol. One ride that I do like is the bumper cars but when my family and I went on it last year, it was way too short and felt like such a rip off lol. No bumper cars for us anymore. We do enjoy the swings and my guys go on a couple of other rides while I gladly watch, take pictures and videos and hold all our stuff lol. OVERALL: A fun once a year Maui event to splurge on. We like to go at night because it's cooler. I honestly am okay with not going every single year lol. Maybe every other year or every couple years. Check it out. read more

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Maybe I am getting older, but the county fair just does not have that same appeal to me that it used to when I was in high school. These days, we go to the county fair to entertain our little boy. He's still a toddler, so there's not TOO much for him to do, but the flashing lights from all the rides keep him fascinated long enough. There's only a handful of games that my son could play and a few rides that he could go on if accompanied by an adult. My husband had a great suggestion that the fair should create a kiddie zone and have more games/activities for the little ones to enjoy in order to attract more families. The fair felt oddly empty this year and I am not surprised. Perhaps it was the $10 entrance fee (children under 5 are free), parking fees ($5), food costs, etc. Parking, entrance, and food alone set us back $50. I also noticed there were less entries in the exhibits, no bonsai trees, not as many business vendors in years past, etc. Bummer! This year they also instituted the Fun Pass card to be used for ALL rides, games, & EK Ferndandez food concession stands (not the food booths, those are cash only). I think it's more efficient in the sense that there's no cash handling and transactions are made almost instantly. However, you can only get them in specific increments ($5, $10, $20, etc) and in order to even get a card, you need to load it with $20 minimum. So, if you don't plan out exactly what food, games, rides, to go on... you'll more than likely be left with some type of balance on your card. Once you get a card though, you can use them at subsequent carnivals and fairs. With all that said, we actually still had a lot of fun this year and stayed later than usual! Many of the games seemed to be priced more "reasonably" so we were able to play more and spend less. Although... I'm still trying to convince myself that 85 credits for the kiddie fishing game where everyone's a winner was worth the 30 seconds of fun for my son. Lol. The prize was a 'donut' floatie, which basically cost us $8.50. Ouch! The best part of the fair for us was the food. We opted for the dry mein this year vs. the chow fun and we tried the roast pork plate for the first time too. They were both SO good we devoured every single piece and it made us totally forget about the Flying Saucers, which sadly... I only now just remembered. 'doh! It finally made a come back this year and the line was ridiculous. Anywho, the fair only comes once a year and the island is greatly lacking in family friendly activities. So, despite the costs, we go anyway and this year was fun! My kiddo still can't stop raving about how fun the helicopter ride was and the smiles I captured on camera made it worth it for me. read more

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The Maui Fair is a timeless tradition and Maui's biggest event. This huge four-day event is organized by a hardworking group of volunteers for the purpose of supporting local businesses and non-profits. It's a fun, positive and family-friendly venue for the Maui community. The Maui Fair brings its visitors a big parade, great local vendors, entertainment, arts and crafts, agriculture and horticulture, livestock for viewing, games, rides, dozens of food booths and more. I've attended this event since I was a little girl, and I still look forward to it each year. To be honest, I mostly look forward to the food. ;) Back in the day, the flying saucers, pronto pups, teriyaki, cascaron and malasadas were the thing. Now it's more about the smoked meat plate, chow fun, waffle cake, fried ice cream and poi mochi. Either way, such wonderful fair fare with a side of nostalgia. read more

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How did I never get around to reviewing the Maui Fair? I admit that I rarely go to the County or State Fairs in Cali but will always try to go the Maui Fair if it is while we're on island. The main initial draw was originally the entertainment as they always have first rate Hawaiian musicians performing and this year, even in the audience. Always great seeing Uncle Richard! Makaha Sons, Keali`i Reichel, and Ekolu are just a sample of the treat we were in for in the past. This year was no exception with the great Mark Yamanaka who braved the tropical storm on a flight from Hilo just to perform for Maui. Usually it is during the last week (Th-Su) of September or first week of October but this year it was a week earlier than normal giving me the chance to finally go on the last day when I would normally be leaving the islands. A parade kicks off this timeless tradition on Thursday afternoon followed by evening hours on Th and Fri and Sat and Sun allows attendees to see the fair while it is still light out. Rides, food booths that are fundraisers, contests, product and services tent, livestock, arts and crafts and first rate entertainment makes this a great local experience. I love how the community really comes together for this annual event. Parking: There are free shuttles from a few satellite parking lots in Wailuku or Queen K Center but check the shuttle hours as they do not necessarily run until the end of the fair especially on Sundays. We normally park at Queen K but realized this year that they have on site parking for $5 close to the War Memorial. Price: Pre-sale tickets are $5, $7 at the door Th-Sat. Discount Sunday = rides for about 3 tickets are less, $5 admission. Food: Ono grindz for a good cause with poi mochi and Hawaiian plates my must have. Always long line for poi mochi so go during peak lunch/dinner time when most ppl are buying other food. This year they experimented with opening up the entertainment tent so those in the food area can see as well which is great. But would be great if they can cover the seating in the entertainment tent more in the future as only the first row was fully covered so was a challenge when it started raining hard. read more

Maui Fair - Festivals Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Fair season is back upon us. The combined power of mass body heat and the temperatures will make you sweat. The fair is broken down into these main components: food, games, rides, vendors, and art/agricultural displays. Food booths are plentiful and you've got an array of choices but expect to spend at least $10 for a plate and $2 to start for a drink. These booths are fundraisers so adjust your perception on portions and bring cash. My meal was Maui High's furikake salmon which was presented nicely and cooked well. The salmon wasn't dry at all. The proportion of mayonnaise and furikake topping was spot on. Came with rice and corn. Kiwanis Kahului's malasadas are delicious but you're in for a long wait time to get the goods. The malasadas are fluffy, hot and with an abundance of sugar. I also tried Made in Hope's boba booth. I had their banana and avocado flavor and the taro and coconut flavor. Another standard for food fare that you can't go wrong with is Baldwin's fettuccine and garlic bread and the Wailuku Hongwanji's chow fun. This year there is a great photo opportunity with giant pumpkins for families with their littles near the entrance of the War Memorial Stadium. Kula Country Farms also provided some cute Halloween themed props as well. Additionally, there were little "John Deere" scooters and a wheelbarrow for children to play with free of charge nearby. FYI passes for rides are electronic now and the same for the games. You must first purchase a card and then load it with money to use as electronic "credits". Fun Pass stations are located at the front of the entrance, within the middle of the game tent, next to the Magic Maze and near the bumper cars. Concession stands run by the fair accept the cards only and the prices listed are in credits. Porta potties are by the Pharaoh's Fury ride. They are marked for men and women. Livestock remains in its traditional place in the back area which is furthest from the main entrance. There are chickens, rabbits, goats, turkeys, cows, and mini ponies (which won Keiki's Choice this year, I'm sure you can guess why). Despite the "livestock aroma" there are printed animal facts that you can share with children to turn it into an educational experience. read more

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W/ an attendance nearing 100,000 people, the 93rd annual Maui Fair is a big event in Maui that it brings the entire community together! Normally held for four days during the first weekend in October, the 2015 fair was held during the last weekend in Sept. at the War Memorial Sports Complex in Kahului. This year's theme "A Fair w/ Local Flair" highlighted the local foods & products of Maui. The fair's offerings include: * Events: baby of the year contest, robotics competition, lego competition, lip sync battle, home-baked pie contest, chili cook-off, fried rice challenge. * Exhibits: huge orchid display, bonsai; fruits & vegetables; hobbies & crafts (clothing, fabric crafts, needlework, novelty, holiday); student art; photography; livestock; poultry; horticulture (pests, weeds, flower arranging, seed starting, gardening, mango grafting). * Hot foods: corn on the cob, Hawaiian plate, loco moco, spaghetti, pastelle, shoyu chicken, BBQ pulled pork, crepes, orange chicken, Greek food, pork and peas, panko crusted fish, pork adobo, chicken hekka, chili, pansit, teri beef, sweet sour spare ribs, Korean plate, dry mein, roast pork, smoked meat, malassadas, & more. They even had balut (no, I didn't get it; for those who don't know what it is, it's a partially developed chicken embryo that is eaten from the shell). * Products & services: individual companies selling clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, home services, massage, & unique, innovative products. * Community services: Maui governmental services such as police, parks & recreation; non-profit organizations such as bone marrow donor registry, hospice, substance abuse. * Entertainment: local professional Hawaiian groups, such as Anuhea, Willie K, Mark Yamanaka; & talented local community groups & organizations. * Midway rides & games by EK Fernandez. The fair starts off with a parade, which is Maui's largest, down Kaahumanu Ave. on Thurs. late afternoon; this signifies the start of the fair. Friday is designated a day when family, neighbors, & friends of those who have physical limitations & special needs can enjoy the fair which prevent them from attending during regular hours. Certain rides, games, entertainment, & a picnic lunch are provided at no charge. There's even a Park & Ride arrangement where a fairgoer may park their car at one of several designated areas w/in the city & take a free shuttle bus ride to & from the fairgrounds. Not bad, considering that it costs $5 to park your car on the fairgrounds. There's an interesting Lost Keiki Tent, sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Hawaii, which prevents kids from getting lost instead of the usual being lost after-the-fact. Parents may register their child, w/ the child getting a wristband w/ a number on it in exchange for the parent's cell phone number. If the child gets separated from its parents, the troop leaders can easily call the parents on their cell phones! What a novel idea! The fair is somewhat pricy, as there is a $7 admission charge for adults ($3 for kids age 5-11 years) on top of the $5 parking fee. Now that's just to get into the fair, & you'll need more $$ for food, rides, games, & plants. Despite the cost, it's all for worthy causes, as the fair is a major fundraiser for many of the Maui civic & non-profit organizations w/ proceeds used to defray their annual operating costs. For example, each of the food booths is sponsored by a specific organization which will pre-sell tickets to the community weeks before the fair opens; & that organization will be cooking the food at the fairgrounds. People of all ages from the young to the very old came in droves w/ their pre-sale tickets to pick up their food. Organizations such as the Kiwanis Club of Kahului makes malassadas (batter from Homemaid Bakery), Maui High School Band Boosters makes chili & rice, Future Chefs of Maui makes waffle cakes w/ ice cream & fruit toppings, Kahana Canoe Club makes a smoked meat plate, & the list goes on. Even nearby private landowners & businesses allowed non-profit & civic groups to fundraise by charging a flat $5 fee for fairgoers to park on their properties; what was amazing was that this was coordinated so that it was $5 no matter where you parked your car. I was amazed as to the commitment of the organizations & the support of the community to assist the many groups for their causes! And it's not surprising to see the support of some of the major sponsors of the fair, such as Alaska Airlines, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, Monsanto, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, Queen Kaahumanu Center, & many others. The Maui Fair is one of the biggest, & I wouldn't be surprised if it's THE biggest event of the year for the community. There is much pride in Maui to host this event, but more importantly, Maui's non-profit & civic organizations stand to gain, as this is their major fundraiser. I enjoyed the time spent there and would definitely return, especially since I know that my attendance will help in giving back to the comm read more

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Sadly, the Maui Fair sure isn't what it used to be. First of all, the original and permanent fairgrounds on Puunene Avenue are long gone. The parade's gorgeous floats of yesteryear have given way to people simply walking from point A to B, and has become extremely boring, sans for the high school marching bands who put lots of effort into their routines, with music and uniformity. And who knew all these beauty pageants existed with car after car carrying unknowns dawning tiaras. Inside, food choices are less, like no Portuguese bean soup for the past several years, and this year no flying saucers!? The audacity! Prices are up, and quantities less, which are my biggest gripes for not attending for the past 2 years. Getting your money's worth depends on the individual organization running the food booth. For instance, at the 2016 event: The folks running the kalbi ribs booth (Hoohana Volleyball) charged $10 for a plate of 2 ribs, rice, and canned corn. The ribs had about 5% meat on it, the rest was ALL FAT. If I hadn't known the person working in the booth, I would've taken it back. That was such a ripoff! Contrary to that, the booth that served the roast pork (Kalama Intermediate School Band Boosters) was on the other end of the spectrum, with big slabs of pork lathered in a tasty turkey gravy, rice, and corn. Great job, guys & gals! Other recommended fare which have been consistently good throughout the years are the pronto pup (Boy Scouts) and chow fun (Wailuku Hongwanji). Bottom line, stick to what you know is good. If you're unsure, just observe the plates being served or simply ask to see what the plate consists of. Better safe than sorry! One positive aspect I noticed this year was that they had the entertainment stage facing the food tent, so those eating could also see or at least hear better as to whoever was on stage. In years past, the stage faced its own limited audience and no one else. But, a loud speaker echoed badly, giving you twice the lyrics. The "better living" tent is still alive, featuring local entrepreneurs and businesses selling their goods and services, but on a much smaller scale than before. A favorite area of mine has always been the exhibits, held inside of the War Memorial Gym. It features art work from grades K-12, amateur photography, orchids, and fruits & vegetables which are judged and awarded ribbons. Sadly, the bonsai trees were absent this year. Though I didn't venture to look for it this year, a livestock tent features a handful of farm and domestic animals, which are awarded ribbons as well. The midway used to be a favorite of mine, like 30 years ago lol. Now, I find the rides rickety, overpriced, with too short of a short riding duration. OVERALL: My priorities have changed, I guess. I'd still go for the food but all my favorites have been disappearing. I'll return, but not for a couple years. read more

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Maui county fair runs first week of October Thursday thru Sunday. Starts off with a parade at the college and runs to the fair grounds at 4:00 pm with the opening of the fair to follow. Thursday they will stay open to 11:00 pm. Friday is special fair day i like going to thus and seeing everyone there all smiles and being happy. They have awesome help during the day and great entertainment. You will need a pass you attend the special fair day. Then it week open again at 5:00 pm and stay open till midnight. Saturday in not sure what time it opens up again but will stay open to midnight. The fair will close in Sunday at 11:00 pm. Admission is 7.00 for an adult on Sunday they will charge you 5.00 but usually the first 2,000 people thru the doors get in free. Parking is usually 5.00 wherever you park. You may also catch a shuttle at a designated area. The shuttles runs every so often. If you have a handicap placard park in the stadium parking lot so you can park close to the entrance. The fair has so many choices of food you can choose from. My favorites are the chow fun, steak plate, pronto pop, cascaron. They also have many rides and games too choose from. All rides for all ages. Go and check out the food and product tent. The gym also has art work to check out. The fair only comes once a year so go and check it out for a fun filled event with your family. read more

Maui Fair - chow fun $8 - Festivals Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

The Maui Fair is the biggest event of the year that brings everyone together for a good time. It is hard to spend ten minutes there without bumping into someone you know either volunteering at the fair or just enjoying the event. Be prepared to spend at $50 on food and drinks, but just remember you are helping out local organizations with their fundraising so it all goes to a good cause. Be sure to thank you to the firefighters, police officers, lifeguards, and other public servants who are manning their booths. Try not to lose too much money playing carnival games!! read more

Big midway - lots of rides and lots of con artist games to take your money while you try for a stuffed animal that you don't really want. As Vince N says, they have a great selection of food stands. We tried four - all good. The orchid exhibit was awesome. Other exhibits were pretty tame. Livestock was almost nonexistent, some chickens and rabbits, 4-5 beef cattle, 2 horses, all in a tent hidden at the back of the fair by a parking lot. This year is their 90th, so hopefully this review will be helpful to someone thinking about going in future years. It's a good county fair, with limited judged competition, great food, and plenty of rides. read more

Just got here. Thank goodness for the shuttle service. Heck if I would try and find parking and then try to leave. New floor plan. I think it looks better. Feels not so hectic and crowded. But today is Sunday. The last day. The crowd was all at the end by the rides. Yikes, but it was okay. Felt comfortable this year. As always prices are still the same....highly priced. read more

Here for the Fab Fun Fair Night Run. Raining... Ugh. Parking was murderous. The rides was so close together that everyone was confused if they were in the right line. The food was so far, opposite ends of the whole area read more