#festivals of aloha

The Maui Economic Recovery Committee (Maui ERC) – Healing Journey Team is honored to announce the launch of Pa‘ūpili 3rd Saturdays, a monthly community healing gathering taking place in Lahaina Town. The first event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at the Lahaina United Methodist Church, marking the beginning of an ongoing series dedicated to healing, connection, and resilience for Lahaina residents impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The 4th Annual Carmen Hulu Lindsey Leo Ha‘iha‘i Falsetto Contest took place on Friday evening at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, honoring the art of leo ha‘iha‘i (Hawaiian falsetto) and celebrating Hawai‘i’s musical traditions. The event crowned its fourth Falsetto Champion, Kellysa-Michiko Namakaokalani Pau‘ole of Waikapū, Maui.

Hawaiʻi’s award-winning five-star, five-diamond  Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea announces its fourth year hosting events as part of the Festivals of Aloha, Maui Nui’s premier Hawaiian cultural showcase, from Friday, Oct. 24 to Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. 

This year’s Festivals of Aloha will span September through October, with celebrations across Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Wailea, Hāna, and Makawao. A schedule of events is posted here.

The Maui County Fair is back Oct. 2-5 at the War Memorial Complex after a six-year absence, but organizers are now faced with the challenge of fundraising an additional $500,000 for infrastructure beyond the $1.5 million already allocated by the Maui County Council.

Both contests honor the legacy and artistry of two of Maui’s most beloved musical treasures—Richard Hoʻopiʻi and Carmen Hulu Lindsey—while nurturing the next generation of falsetto performers.

Maui County Council members voted unanimously 9-0 to approve on first reading an amended Bill 7, revising the County’s fiscal year 2025 budget to appropriate $1.5 million to the nonprofit Festivals of Aloha for the 2025 Maui County Fair.

Maui County’s efforts to secure funding for the 2025 Maui Fair have taken another step forward.

The Maui Fair is a beloved local tradition that drew about 90,000 people the last time it was held in 2019.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has announced its upcoming community partnerships focused on natural resources, cultural initiatives, festivals and signature events. HTA is reinvesting nearly $3 million in partnerships with 105 community-based organizations, projects, programs and events taking place across Hawai‘i from January 1 to June 30, 2025.

The Festivals of Aloha is set to return for its third year, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea announced on Wednesday. The weekend of events from Oct. 25 to 27, 2024 celebrates Hawaiian heritage and traditions through a series of immersive cultural experiences, musical performances and local artisan showcases.

Maui’s own Antonio Robles of Wailuku, earned the championship title at the 22nd annual Richard Ho‘opi‘i Leo Kiʻekiʻe Falsetto Contest, held at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Saturday night, Sept. 21, 2024. He was honored for his performance of Hawaiʻi standard “Waikaloa.” The competition featured six contestants–four from Maui, and two from O’ahu.

Festivals of Aloha has announced its 2024 theme, “Ka Laʻi o Hauola – The Calm of Hauola,” honoring the revered Pōhakuohauola (Hauola Stone) of Lahaina, a historic symbol of healing and restoration. As Maui Nui communities continue to recover from the devastating wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023, this year’s theme reflects the collective hope for peace and comfort, echoing the stone’s ancient legacy of health and renewal, organizers said.

The Wailuku First Friday street party on Sept. 6, 2024 kick’s-off the two month Hawaiian Showcase “Festivals of Aloha.” The event, from 6 to 9 p.m., features entertainment by Maui Music Mission, Te Ohi Nui and Hālau Keola Aliʻi O Kekai. The Hammah House Band celebrates their release of the single “Like Mehk,” with music on the Market St. Stage.

Without resuscitation, the future is bleak for Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, with the aging, once premier Central Maui shopping destination caught in a downward spiral — store closings lead to less foot traffic, which beget more loss of business, and so on.

The 2023 Festivals of Aloha culminates this month with the 21st Richard Ho‘opi‘i Falsetto Contest on Saturday, and events next week on the island of Molokaʻi.

For entertainment this week on Maui, there are the Aloha Festivals in Hāna and Wailea; fundraising concerts for Maui wildfire victims, Halloween costume contests around the island, and a performance in Kula by The Voice’s contestant Jason Arcilla. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea invites the community and guests to immerse themselves in a weekend-long Festivals of Aloha cultural showcase from Oct. 27 to 29, 2023.

Aloha Festivals five-days of culture and fun starts Saturday with a parade; Oktoberfest and Kōkua for Lahaina raise funds for Maui wildfire victims; and Haunted Hawaiian Ghost Stories and the musical Rocky Horror Show pave the way for Halloween. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

This year’s Festivals of Aloha theme is “Kāhuli leo leʻa–Hoʻōla o ka wao,” or “Sweet-voiced kāhuli–Savior of the forest,” honoring the kāhuli snail.