#paddle out maui

The Lahaina O-Bon Festival will return to Lahaina Jodo Mission on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, marking the first time the full-scale event will be held on temple grounds since the August 2023 wildfire destroyed three historic Buddhist temples in Lahaina.

Special gatherings marking two years after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires will offer residents opportunities to gather and support one another, honoring the memories of loved ones lost, and the resiliency of a community recovering from Hawai’i’s most devastating wildfire disaster. The events will pay tribute to the 102 victims and two unaccounted for individuals in the Maui wildfires.

Hundreds gathered in waters off of Ukumehame on Friday to reflect and unite during a Paddle Out for Lahaina event, held one month after wildfires swept through Maui.

An estimated 100 Maui community members took to the ocean to raise awareness about climate change on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, as part of the Global Climate March. The worldwide coordinated event was organized in support of climate justice and an end to carbon pollution.

Decorated with happy faces, and signed with a heart, the request read, “If I touched your heart and you have time to do this, I invite your to come… Wednesday morning 8 a.m.” Within 48 hours, the handwritten plea entitled “Surfers Wanted” went viral, with more than 100 people answering the call.