Fourth of July Fireworks Funded on Maui

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development has awarded three separate community grants to Makawao, Lahaina and Lānaʻi to help with this year’s Fourth of July celebrations.  The grants include $10,000 for the 51st Annual Makawao Parade on July 2; $10,000 for the Lahaina Fourth of July Celebration, and $20,000 for the Lānaʻi Pineapple Festival, also held on July 2.

The grants were awarded to each respective district from OED’s regional funds and will go toward marketing efforts and street closures for all three events.

Additionally, a portion of Makawao’s grant will help pay for a new staging area, while a portion of Lānaʻi’s grant will go toward chartering a special late-night return ferry from Mānele Harbor to Lahaina Harbor.

The Makawao Fourth of July Parade falls on the final day of an annual 4-day celebration of Makawao’s vibrant paniolo community, which includes professional rodeo exhibitions such as bull riding, calf roping and bronco riding. Those interested in participating in the parade can contact Yuki Lei Sugimura at 870-0847 or [email protected], or Duane Hamamura at 268-8729 or [email protected].

The Lahaina Fourth of July Celebration features a fabulous night of food, shopping, activities and entertainment, and is renowned for its spectacular fireworks display offshore of Front Street. Those interested in pledging funds to help pay for the fireworks display, which cost upwards of $50,000, can contact the Lahaina Town Action Committee at 661-4779.

The Lānaʻi Pineapple Festival is a fun-filled event for Lānaʻi residents and visitors of all ages, featuring crafts, games, food booths, activities, prizes, exhibitors, entertainment and a beautiful fireworks display to close out the night. Those interested in having a booth at the Pineapple Festival can pick up applications at the Coalition for a Drug Free Lānaʻi or at Okamoto Realty. For Maui visitors interested in attending the event and utilizing the late-night return ferry, reservations can be made by calling Expeditions at 808-661-3756.

“Fourth of July festivities and fireworks are abundant in Maui County,” said Teena Rasmussen, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. “Mayor Arakawa and the Office of Economic Development are proud to be a major sponsor of these great traditional celebrations.”