Op-Ed: Rising trend of pop-up markets in Hawaiʻi—a positive shift for the local economy

Op-Ed: Rising trend of pop-up markets in Hawaiʻi—a positive shift for the local economy
By: De Andre Makakoa |  Lahaina Strong
Makakoa is a community organizer and wildfire survivor from Lahaina, Maui.

“Across Hawaiʻi, pop-up markets have become a rising trend. Pretty much every weekend, you’ll be able to find a parking lot or park filled with pop-up tents where vendors are set up to sell their homemade food, art, and crafts, and crowds of local people both shopping and hanging out.

These pop-up events have really become a testament to local determination and resourcefulness.

When the pandemic shut down tourism and big businesses closed their doors, many faced the uncertainty of lost jobs and shrinking opportunities. Pop-up market events offered a way forward. Especially in places like Lahaina, where the recent disaster has left deep scars, these markets have become vital spaces for rebuilding both livelihoods and spaces to gather.

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We’ve been talking about diversifying Hawaiʻi’s economy for years, and what we’re seeing now is a great start. The truth is, most people are just one unfortunate circumstance away from financial hardship. The pandemic made it clear how vulnerable we really are, and for Lahaina, and most of Maui, the wildfire only drove that lesson home. When tourism slows or stops, it’s our local families who lose jobs, local businesses that close, and local communities that struggle to get by. We can’t keep relying on the tourism industry to carry us. The quick expansion of pop-up markets over the last few years is proof that local people already know this, and are actively shifting toward new ways of building stability and resilience.

For years, the default hangout spot was the mall, which was fast food courts, mass produced goods, and depersonalized hyper-consumerism. But pop-up markets have become the new gathering place, where instead of fast fashion and fast food, you find intentional consumerism, families buying handmade products, and food from people they actually know.

It’s a return to community. And unlike the old business model where a shop might struggle for years before breaking through, these vendors can thrive early, because their community is right there rooting for them from day one.

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These markets make it possible for anyone with a skill, a recipe, or a craft to step into entrepreneurship. You don’t need a big investment or a storefront, just initiative, community support, and a willingness to try. For many, this is the first real chance to turn a passion or family tradition into income. The barriers to entry are low, the desire to support local is strong, and the momentum is real. New pop-up markets are “popping up”(sorry) all over Hawaiʻi. This is how new businesses get started and can even thrive early, and also how our economy begins to truly diversify from the ground up.

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The impact of this shift goes far beyond individual sales or side income. Economically, every dollar spent at a pop-up market stays in the community, helping families pay the bills and allowing locals to reinvest in their own neighborhoods. Socially, these markets have become gathering places, rebuilding connections and offering a space for people to support one another, and collaborate in ways that strengthen the whole community.

Culturally, the return to small, family-owned businesses marks a powerful shift for Hawaiʻi. For generations, local families ran mom-and-pop stores, and hole in the wall restaurants with the best food you can remember. Over time, the expansion of corporate chains and outside interests pushed many of these local operations to the margins. Like on Maui, where we have seen the erasure of almost all of our beloved neighborhood “mom and pop shops”. Now, through the rise of pop-up markets, we’re witnessing a reclamation of that tradition.

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If we want a future where our communities are less vulnerable and more self-sufficient, it starts with supporting each other right here at home. At a policy level, we can make these pop-up events easier to put on. Easier permitting processes, and access to public spaces without all of the red tape. It is a low cost investment for our counties to support these thriving hubs of grassroots local commerce.

At a personal level, show up at your local mākeke. Choose to spend your dollars with family run businesses and local vendors. Save your date night money and skip the fancy hotel restaurant one month and do a “food tour” at a pop up market. Get something from every food vendor and grind! Letʻs help advocate for policies that make it easier for small businesses to thrive and for these pop-up markets to operate. By backing these grassroots efforts, we’re investing in a Hawaiʻi that is still local and still feels like Hawaiʻi.”

*****Views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect or represent the opinions, policies or positions of Maui Now.*****