{"id":2076257,"date":"2025-10-08T02:54:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2076257"},"modified":"2025-10-08T02:54:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:54:14","slug":"return-of-maui-county-fair-delights-new-generation-with-fun-food-and-screams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/return-of-maui-county-fair-delights-new-generation-with-fun-food-and-screams\/","title":{"rendered":"Return of Maui County Fair delights new generation with fun, food (and screams)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 98th Maui County Fair returned last week after a six-year hiatus, drawing eager crowds of more than 115,000 people over four days.<\/p>\n

From the carousel to the cotton candy, the historic fair brought back familiar traditions that began in 1916. This year, there was a new generation of young fairgoers.<\/p>\n

Like many excited keiki, 9-year-old Kairie attended for the first time she can actually remember. She was a toddler at the last fair.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

Fairgoers waited in long lines for Pharaoh\u2019s Fury, one of the event’s most thrilling rides. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cMy legs are shaking,\u201d she said, after getting off Pharaoh\u2019s Fury, a swinging pendulum so thrilling it brought screams from even the bravest riders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was keeping my eyes completely shut,\u201d Kairie said. \u201cMy stomach was feeling really tickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fair experience<\/b><\/h3>\n

Her mom, Tyler Corpuz, has fond memories of coming to the fair herself when she was little.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to come all the time, every year, with my parents,\u201d she said. Over the weekend, she brought her two daughters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis being our first year back, I was so excited to be able to bring them and show them the lights and get the experience,\u201d Corpuz said.<\/p>\n

Justin Dela Cruz waited in a long line to ride Pharaoh\u2019s Fury. He and his friends were in middle school the last time they attended the fair. He said aside from the long wait times, it was a good time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cool seeing all the people coming out to like have fun, all the kids, they look like they\u2019re having fun,\u201d Dela Cruz told HPR.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Harley Ganoot said, \u201cI was looking forward to the rides, but not the line.\u201d <\/p>\n

How long were they waiting? \u201cHonestly, probably an hour by now,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s nostalgic seeing all this again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family-owned kama\u02bb\u0101ina entertainment company E.K. Fernandez Shows has been bringing fun to Hawai\u02bbi for more than a century. The Maui fair featured 14 rides for all ages and thrill levels.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

Wave Swinger riders strap in and prepare to be whirled high in the air. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Another line snaked through the fairgrounds for the popular Wave Swinger. Chains and buckles clanked as the next batch of riders strapped in. The motor revved as the swings rose into the air, bringing shrieks of terror and delight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was terrifyingly fun,\u201d said 7-year-old Landon after he stepped off. \u201cThe scary part was when it was going in swirls really fast and the fun part was I got to feel the wind blow in my face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pakalana, age 10, said she was most excited for \u201cjust spending time with my family and my friends.”<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

Classic and colorful, the carousel was a popular choice among younger fairgoers. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Jahfrey Akina took his 6-year-old son, Logan, to the fair for the first time since he was a baby. While Logan was looking forward to the rides, Akina said, \u201cFor me growing up, it was always the games.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, fairgoers had to load a digital card with credits to participate in fair activities, but Akina said the shift to digital wasn\u2019t a positive one for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it changed a lot for the nuance of it. Coins and tickets was what we looked forward to \u2014 now it\u2019s all cards,\u201d he said. \u201cThose coins you only got here. I used to save those coins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opportunity for vendors<\/b><\/h3>\n

In addition to the rides, the event also featured live music, games, contests, a farm animal exhibit, and dozens of local food and product vendors.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

Tara Diego and her husband, owners of Unconquered Hawai\u02bbi, were among the first-time vendors at this year’s Maui County Fair. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Tara Diego and her husband own apparel company Unconquered Hawai\u2019i. She grew up coming to the fair and later brought her own kids, but this was her first time as a vendor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell by the way people have been tonight that it\u2019s uplifted everyone\u2019s spirits to have the fair back, but definitely as a small business owner, this has been amazing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re from Lahaina, so just the past couple years have been so focused on first the fire and everyone that has gone wrong with it, and then recovery, which we\u2019re still going through. And it\u2019s going to be a long road, so some might call it a distraction, but it\u2019s a welcome distraction,\u201d Diego laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope this isn\u2019t a one-time thing and they\u2019re able to continue it,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

For vendor Trent Corpuz, the fair offered a valuable opportunity for their new business, Kekai and Me, which sells beach essentials and phone accessories with locally-inspired designs hand-drawn by his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely a big exposure for us, this is one of the biggest events we\u2019ve done,\u201d Corpuz said. \u201cWe\u2019re stoked to see what it brings afterwards, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind the scenes <\/b><\/h3>\n
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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

In addition to rides and food, attendees also enjoyed a tent of classic fair games and prizes. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Maui County appropriated $1.5 million to bring back the fair this year. After financial troubles, the pandemic and then the wildfires, the now-county-sponsored event was an important opportunity to celebrate resiliency, according to Mayor Richard Bissen.<\/p>\n

Fair coordinator Daryl Fujiwara said organizing the massive event at War Memorial Complex brought logistical challenges \u2014 from permitting to lighting to barriers to lining up vendors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very, very arduous and crazy journey,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’re grateful that the county came in to support this huge lift. It takes a village. It takes a whole island.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fujiwara said E.K. Fernandez Shows used to charter a barge and go to all the islands \u2014 a cost shared by the counties \u2014 but since COVID, other counties are not hosting as many fairs recently, so transporting the rides from O\u02bbahu is now a bigger deal.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Cluett Pactol\/HPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>

Zero Gravity spins above the crowd at the 98th Maui County Fair in 2025.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With the 50th State Fair on pause due to Aloha Stadium\u2019s redevelopment on O\u02bbahu, Bissen said Maui was the only county to hold a fair this year in the state.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Bissen said it\u2019s all about bringing the community together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis just gives everyone an opportunity to reunite, just to be in an environment that is positive, that is designed to bring joy to from the youngest to the oldest that come out there,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople look forward to the food, the music, the free entertainment, the exhibits, the rides, the games \u2014 but it really is the connecting with one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n