ʻUlupalakua Ranch to host 2nd annual ‘Christmas in the Country’ festival, Dec. 13

ʻUlupalakua Ranch will host its second annual Christmas in the Country community celebration on Saturday, Dec. 13, bringing together Maui residents and visitors for a full day of holiday spirit, community gathering and country fun. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The field behind ʻUlupalakua Ranch Store will be filled with live music, ono food, photos with Santa, a petting zoo, hayrides, sheep herding demonstrations and holiday shopping. Discover one-of-a-kind gifts while supporting Maui’s local businesses by shopping with our many craft, retail and food vendors. There will also be a selection of keiki activities and multiple opportunities to support some Maui nonprofit organizations. Plus, for the first time, ʻUlupalakua Ranch will be auctioning up a year’s worth of Maui-grown beef among other novelty silent auction items.

This year, much of the proceeds raised from the event will support two local nonprofit beneficiaries: The Maui Food Bank and Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Maui. The ranch also encourages attendees to bring canned food donations for the Maui Food Bank drive that will be on site.

As a second year beneficiary of ʻUlupalakua Ranch’s Christmas in the Country, Executive Director Paul Tonnessen shared, “The Friends of the Children’s Justice Center are humbled to once again receive their generous support that helps us uplift our keiki who have endured abuse and neglect. Their generosity allows us to expand our mission to restore hope, dignity and healing across Maui County for the keiki we serve.”

“Being able to come together to celebrate the holiday season and support our community is truly what Christmas in the Country is all about,” said Lisa H. Paulson, Maui Food Bank CEO. “We are honored to be the beneficiary of this year’s ʻUlupalakua Ranch Christmas in the Country,
especially at a time when one in four keiki in Maui County is at risk of going hungry. This
event is a powerful reminder of what we can do together, and every donation of rice,
canned protein, canned vegetables or other essentials will help provide food and hope to
the 40,000 people we serve each month.”

Entry for Christmas in the Country is $5 or free for keiki 12 and under. There will also be multiple free parking lots and VIP paid parking lots available. The ranch encourages attendees to arrive early, and parking will be open starting at 9:30 a.m.

Stop by MauiWine next door to explore their gift shop or have a glass of estate wine produced right on property. Make reservations in advance at mauiwine.com or pop over to the winery while visiting ʻUlupalakua Ranch for the Christmas in the Country festival.

“We are thrilled to bring community gatherings back to ʻUlupalakua Ranch,” said Sumner Erdman, ʻUlupalakua Ranch president. “Community is the heart of what we do here, and we are looking forward to hosting another event for local families to enjoy.”

For more information about the event, visit ulupalakuaranch.com/pages/events and follow
@ulupalakua_ranch on Instagram.