2017’s Maui Fair will honor its rich past with both nods to its olden customs and bows to its present and future. The horse races that dominated its grounds may no longer be in action, but in its place will be a cornucopia of delights, including the first Fried Rice Challenge (with donations going to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Patient Transportation Fund), a LEGO competition, a merry-go-round, magic maze, super slide, and wave swinger—and, of course, the proverbial symbol of county fairs: a towering Ferris wheel.

Get in line for it all, because while the island indeed has natural rides to boot, there’s nothing quite like stepping onto a carousel while holding a cone of cotton candy.

95th Maui Fair Details:

“Celebrating the Greatest Things in Life”

• Thursday, October 5 @ 5pm through Sunday, October 8 @ 11pm
• Admission: $10 adults, $5 kids 5-11, 4 and under free
Sunday: $7 adults, $3 kids 5-11, under 4 are free
• Free Park and Ride shuttle bus service from select locations in Kahului and Wailuku (including Queen Ka’ahumanu Center)
• Accessible parking (placard or visible plate required) at the War Memorial Football Stadium parking lot
• First Aid Station located in War Memorial Gym; Lost Keiki tent (and wristbands) provided to children at the Kanaloa entrance
• The parade will start on October 5 at 4:30pm at UH Maui College Campus and proceed right on Ka’ahumanu Avenue to Kanaloa Avenue

The Rides

It’s no wonder why Maui’s County Fair is such a hit every year. From the Inverter to the Bouncy Fun House, there’s something for everyone. The Zipper and the Pharaoh Swing were hugely popular, but never kept people waiting in line for more than 5 minutes. The fair has dozens of great rides from the tame children Carousel and Bumper Cars to the flipping madness of the Inverter.

All of the rides cost from 3-6 tickets. Tickets usually go for a dollar each, or 12 for 10 dollars. The rides vary in length, and the short ones are usually long enough, judging by the screams. Some would disagree though.

“It’s fun to get the community together to enjoy rides, food, and exhibits, but the prices and duration of rides are not congruent.  For some rides, you wait in a line for 3-45 minutes, then have a 1-minute ride that isn’t affordable for the majority of Maui residents,” shared a dismayed Treehouse Dad after waiting in line.

The Grinds

The food at this event is pretty standard for fairs. Cotton candy, funnel cakes, sausage sandwiches, and fried everything. Some unusual items that you won’t find at other fairs would be the Hawaiian Mixed Plates.

Booths and other Fair Attractions

Of course one of the most fun things to do at the fair is cruise through the big tents to visit all the different booths and vendors. There were people selling Maui souvenir trinkets, pots and pans, children photography packages, jewelry, koa wood items, Maui County information, water purifiers, and much more. It’s always fun to see what people are selling at the fair.