Happy 4th of July! Where to go and what to do on Maui

By Wendy Osher

The Maui Chamber of Commerce hosts the 10^th Annual 4^th of July Fireworks Celebration in Lahaina on Sunday. The event includes food, shopping entertainment, and the only public fireworks display on Maui beginning at 8 p.m. Front Street will be closed from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday to accommodate the celebration. Those that are parking in a lot that only exits onto Front Street will not be able to leave during the road closure. Front Street will be a Tow Away Zone Starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The event is funded by businesses and private donations and remains several thousand dollars short of its fundraising goal this year. The Maui Chamber of Commerce continues to accept donations via their website at mauichamber.com.

There are no firecracker permits available on Maui because no vendors are bringing in firecrackers to sell. Sales of Novelty fireworks however, began on Tuesday, June 29^th. Novelty items such as sparklers and paperless firecrackers can be set off between 1 and 9 p.m. only on Sunday, July 4, 2010.

Fire officials remind the public to especially careful this Fourth of July because of the hot, dry and windy weather. Anyone who plans on using fireworks or supervising children using fireworks should avoid use near dry brush, near fields or around homes.

Retail locations in Maui County selling novelty fireworks include: Costco Wholesale in Kahului; Foodland stores in Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina, and Pukalani; Kmart in Kahului; Malama Market in Lahaina; Misaki on Molokai; Pine Isle Market on Lanai; Sac n Save in Wailuku; Safeway stores in Kahului, Kihei and Lahaina; Take’s Variety on Molokai; Times Supermarket in Kihei and Lahaina; and Walgreens stores in Kahului and Lahaina.

Governor Linda Lingle signed a bill into law last month that gives individual counties the authority to limit or ban fireworks. Act 170 allows counties to enact ordiances that are more stringent than what the state already has in place. The new law also establishes a task force to make recommendations to prevent the illegal importation of fireworks into the state.

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