#Maui

In its 15th anniversary season, the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra will visit Maui for the first time in 10 years, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19, for a free MELE FOR MAUI summer classical music concert event at the Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows in Kāʻanapali. The orchestra was recently designated as the “official state orchestra of Hawai‘i.” […]

The Hawaiʻi National Guard mobilized to execute operations leading up to and in the wake of Hurricane Lowell.

As all four counties recover from flooding and damages, leaders say coastal retreat, better access and backup power are needed, especially in rural areas.

The 2026 Maui County Fair will offer opportunities for community members of all ages to participate in contests, competitions and exhibitions when the 99th fair returns Oct. 1-4,. Opportunities range from the Healthy Baby Contest for Maui’s youngest keiki to student competitions featuring agriculture, filmmaking and Esports, as well as fiber arts and animal exhibitions.

Heavy rainfall has helped decrease fire risk, but first responders are still on alert during high hurricane winds.

Farmers were still recovering from major damage and crop losses in the Kona low storms in March when Hurricane Lala swept by in August.

Lahainaluna and Paradise high schools will face each other tonight in a “Unity Bowl” that aims to showcase the resilience of two communities recovering from devastating fires.

Hawaiʻi drivers are paying near-record prices at gas pumps heading into the Labor Day weekend, with little relief in sight, according to AAA Hawaiʻi’s Weekend Gas Watch. On Maui, Kahului hit $5.44 (up a full dollar from the same time last year).

Maui County Council members voted 7-1 in committee Thursday to put safeguards how local law enforcement uses automatic license plate reader technology, but they deferred action on a second bill addressing facial recognition technology that is not yet deployed by the Maui Police Department.

The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 5-4 last week to adopt criteria for which apartment-zoned vacation rental properties can be recommended to the Maui Planning Commission for hotel-district rezoning, tying eligibility to how deeply a property sits within the county’s Sea Level Rise Exposure Area.

Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation announced today that Sharon Har has joined the organization as its Housing Development Director.

“The July 2026 visitor counts represent an 83.4% recovery when compared to pre-wildfire July 2023 with 297,082 visitors,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka. “For the first seven months of 2026, there were 1,618,051 visitors on Maui, a 7.7% growth compared to year-to-date 2025, but 9.8% lower than the same period before the wildfires.”

The $3 million Olowalu Fire Station project was fully funded until the Canadian company supplying the modular building for the station was hit with 50% steel tariffs by the U.S. last year.

At least 10 paperbark Eucalyptus trees were cut, with splintered trunks left standing several feet high. “The vandals also installed a bench, suggesting that the illegal removal of trees was perhaps intended to establish a scenic viewpoint. Ironically, the situation left by the destruction of the trees is anything but picturesque,” DLNR officials said.

The Oskie Rice Event Center will host the Oskie Rice Memorial Rodeo 2026 from Oct. 23-25, marking the 110th anniversary of Kaonoulu Ranch, according to event organizers. This year’s rodeo is being held in conjunction with the Festivals of Aloha celebrations.

The Live Like Treʻ Foundation partnered with the Hoʻomau Fire Academy for the second consecutive year to recognize three Maui fire cadets, using the ceremony to share lessons on leadership, safety, accountability and service with the next generation of firefighters.

Maui Countyʻs non seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July 2026 was 2.8%, down from the 3.2% rate reported a month earlier, and up from the 2.4% rate reported at the same time last year. Island specific unemployment rates were 2.8% on Maui, 4.0% on Molokaʻi and 3.0% on Lānaʻi.

Emergency WiFi is now available in Hāna town for East Maui residents. The Starlink WiFi equipment was provided by Maui United Way, in coordination with Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. and Hāle Hulu Mamo. The Starlink WiFi equipment is located at Hāle Hulu Mamo and connectivity can be accessed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. via street parking.

Two Fiscal Year 2027 grant-funding opportunities — a new Financial Literacy Program focused on strengthening County grantees, small businesses and community members, as well as a second round of Student and Youth Travel funding for Hāna, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi – are available, the County of Maui Office of Economic Development (OED) announced.

After outages in recent storms, many frustrated residents are seeking out the satellite-based Starlink or other ways to stay connected in emergencies.