Photos: Early look at the 98th Maui County Fair

Maui County, we are so back.

Early photos of the 98th Maui County Fair have surfaced, and by the looks of it, we’re in for a full fair experience. This could easily be the biggest fair in the state this year—as it should be; Maui is nō ka ʻoi again.

Expect most of the same E.K. Fernandez rides and booths Maui loved before the pandemic, though a few rides won’t be making a return.

Sadly, the era of the Zipper is over. On the bright side, you’ll get to save your tickets and the belongings in your pockets this year. There also appear to be a few new rides in the “Joy Zone,” like Wacky Worm, and upgrades to old favorites like the Super Sizzler.

There’s more to the fair than rides. This year’s community event will feature live performances, art contests, E-sports, the healthy baby contest, the orchid show (at the fair’s Queen Ka’ahumanu Center Exhibition Hall) , food booths and a variety of family-friendly games and activities. The event kicks off with a parade from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, led by former Mayor Michael Victorino as grand marshal.

Fair hours are as follows:

• Thursday, Oct. 2nd — 5 to 11 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 3rd — 5 p.m. to midnight
• Saturday, Oct. 4th — 10 a.m. to midnight
• Sunday, Oct. 5th — 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (On Sunday, the first 2,000 attendees will receive free admission courtesy of Fun Factory)

This year’s organizing team is new, but they’ve emphasized honoring the fair’s traditions. Daryl Fujiwara, executive director of Festivals of Hawaiʻi, is coordinating the event.

And honestly, there’s not much more I can say about it that you won’t see for yourself, so I’ll leave it at this:

To all the keiki and ʻōpio, keep your horseplay to about a 6 or 7 (they’ll know what I’m talking about).

And to everyone attending, savor it a little more than usual. This fair is more than rides and food booths—it’s a celebration of our community’s resilience, a chance to come together after so much we’ve been through. Bringing back this tradition is a reminder of the strength and spirit of our community.

The fair returns Oct. 2–5 at the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku. More info is at theMauiFair.com.