5th Friday Returns to Lānaʻi for January Town Party

Lanai 5th Friday photo.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is offering a special incentive to urge Maui residents and visitors to support Lānaʻi businesses by attending the upcoming 5th Friday Town Party in Lānaʻi City on Jan. 29, 2016.

To accommodate the special Friday event, OED has teamed up with Expeditions Ferry and the Lānaʻi Chamber of Commerce to provide round-trip ferry and ground transportation between Maui and Lānaʻi, including a special late-night ferry that departs Mānele Harbor at 9:45 p.m. Expeditions’ last ferry to Maui on a regular day is at 6:45 p.m.

The 5th Friday Lānaʻi Package includes a round-trip ferry ride between Lahaina Harbor and Mānele Harbor, round-trip ground transportation between Mānele Harbor and Lānaʻi City, and an event passport. Visiting participating business and collecting stamps for the passport gains entry into a free prize drawing.

Residents and visitors can choose to depart from Lahaina on the Expeditions ferry at 9:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m. or 3:15 p.m.; however, departure from Mānele Harbor is limited to 9:45 p.m. only.

The cost for the package is $60 per adult and $50 per child and can be booked online. A discounted price is also available for kamaʻāina who already have a ticket booklet from Expeditions; please visit the above website for more details.

All businesses will be open throughout the Friday Town Party event, which runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There will be food booths and restaurants serving up special local favorites as well as several music and entertainment venues. Additionally, visitors will be able to tour and watch movies at the newly renovated Hale Keaka (previously the Lānaʻi Theater) as well as visit the Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center.

Visitors who catch the early-morning Expeditions ferry at 9:45 a.m. will also have the opportunity to watch the Ohina Short Film Showcase, which features the work of Hawaiʻi’s independent filmmakers and includes four Lānaʻi short films. The Showcase will be playing at Hale Keaka at 12:30 p.m. free of charge.

“We have been so pleased at the great response our Maui community has shown Lānaʻi by attending their 5th Friday parties throughout 2015,” said Teena Rasmussen, Director of OED. “As Lānaʻi looks forward to re-opening the Mānele Bay Hotel in March, these 5th Fridays have given their businesses an extra boost to weather the economic downturn their community has faced. If you haven’t attended Lānaʻi 5th Friday yet, you have a great opportunity on Jan. 29th,” she said.

For more information on Friday Town Parties throughout Maui County, visit www.mauifridays.com.