Nearly a century of tradition. That is what the 99th Annual Maui County Fair represents when it opens its gates on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at the War Memorial Special Events Complex in Wailuku, Maui. Announced officially by Mayor Richard Bissen on April 22, 2026, this four-day celebration of local culture, community spirit, carnival rides, food, and island pride runs through Sunday, October 4, 2026 — and it is the single most anticipated community event on Maui's autumn calendar.
Just one year away from its centennial edition, the 99th Maui County Fair is not simply a fair. It is the living proof that some traditions are too deeply loved to disappear.
"The return of the Maui County Fair brings back a tradition our community really values."
The 2026 Fair: What Is Officially Confirmed
Key Details for the Upcoming Edition
Mayor Bissen's April 22, 2026 announcement confirmed every key detail for the upcoming edition:
- Dates: Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Venue: War Memorial Special Events Complex, Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793
- Opening: October 1 at 4:30 PM
- Closing: October 4 at 11:00 PM HST
- Edition: 99th Annual — one year before the centennial
- Fair Director: Daryl Fujiwara of Festivals of Aloha — returning for the second consecutive year after leading the 2025 comeback edition
- County funding: Mayor Bissen proposed $1.5 million in county appropriation to support the 2026 fair
- Official website: themauifair.com
A Fair That Has Been Part of Maui Since 1927
Historical Significance and Resilience
The Maui County Fair has been running since 1927 — making it one of the longest continuously running community fairs in the entire State of Hawaii. Nearly every Maui family has a story attached to it. Grandparents who won goldfish in booths that no longer exist. Teenagers who rode the Ferris wheel with friends who are now their spouses. Children who tasted their first malasada at 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning.
"The fair's return in 2025 was described as the 'successful comeback of the beloved fair' by Mayor Bissen."
The fair went through a painful hiatus following the August 2023 Lahaina wildfires and the disruption they caused to the entire Maui community's civic and social life. Its return in 2025 — the 98th Annual — was not just an event. It was a statement about Maui's resilience.
What the Maui County Fair Includes
A Full Four-Day Programme
The Maui County Fair is a full four-day programme of food, entertainment, competitions, exhibits, and carnival infrastructure:
- Carnival Rides and Midway: A full carnival midway with rides for all ages — from family-friendly attractions to thrill rides for teenagers and adults
- Food: Nonprofit food vendor booths serving the dishes that Maui families have grown up eating — plate lunches, malasadas, shave ice, saimin, chili rice, and rotating specialties from community organisations across the island
- Horticulture and Agriculture Exhibits: Locally grown flowers, plants, and produce judged and displayed across the fair grounds
- Entertainment Stage: Hawaiian music and hula, local bands and performers, keiki (children's) entertainment
The Food: The Heart of the Fair
Supporting Local Nonprofit Organisations
The Maui County Fair's food programme is specifically designed to support local nonprofit organisations — vendor spaces are allocated through a competitive application process that prioritises community service and menu quality:
- Nonprofit food vendor booths serving traditional Maui dishes
- Products and Services Exhibit — preference given to Maui-based businesses and Maui-made products
- Food vendor applications were due May 15, 2026; vendor selection notifications were issued May 30; payment deadline was June 15
- The food vendor structure means that attending the fair and eating at its booths is a direct act of community support — every plate lunch purchase supports a Maui nonprofit
Fun Factory Day: Free Sunday Admission
A Beloved Tradition
One of the most loved traditions of the Maui County Fair is Fun Factory Day on the closing Sunday:
- The first 2,000 attendees on Sunday, October 4 receive free admission to the fair — compliments of Fun Factory at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center and Maui Mall
- This makes Sunday morning the single most energetic and most accessible entry point for families and budget-conscious visitors
- Arriving at opening time on Sunday morning is the best strategy for securing one of the 2,000 free admission entries
The War Memorial Special Events Complex: Wailuku's Festival Ground
Home of the Maui County Fair
The War Memorial Special Events Complex at 700 Halia Nakoa Street, Wailuku has been the permanent home of the Maui County Fair for decades — a large, flat, open events complex in central Wailuku with the capacity to hold the full fair infrastructure of carnival rides, food vendor rows, exhibit tents, entertainment stage, and the horticulture pavilion:
- Located in the heart of Wailuku — Maui's county seat, just 10 to 15 minutes from Kahului Airport
- Adjacent to the War Memorial Stadium and Complex — the broader athletic and civic space that anchors the central Wailuku neighbourhood
- Historic Wailuku Town's Market Street is approximately 10 minutes walk from the fair grounds — the home of Wailuku First Friday — giving visitors the option of combining a fair afternoon with an evening in the historic town centre
- Queen Kaʻahumanu Center is approximately 10 minutes by car — Maui's largest mall and the home of Aloha Friday cultural events
The 99th Year: One Year From a Century
A Living Chain of Community Memory
The significance of the 2026 edition extends beyond any single programme element. This is the 99th Annual Maui County Fair — the edition that stands directly before the centennial.
That context shapes everything about October 1 to 4, 2026 at War Memorial. The 99th fair will be attended by people whose grandparents attended the 50th, whose parents attended the 75th, and whose children may attend the 125th. It is a living chain of community memory that very few events in the State of Hawaii can match.
"After everything the Maui community has navigated since August 2023, the fair's return is not just a celebration. It is a declaration."
The October 2026 Maui Context
A Broader Events Window
The Maui County Fair runs October 1 to 4 — placing it within a broader October Maui events window:
- Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Leo Haʻihaʻi Falsetto Contest — expected October 2026 at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
- Wailuku First Friday — October 2, 2026, Market Street, Wailuku (free) — running simultaneously with the fair on Friday October 2; the fair closes at 9:00 PM on Friday, making a Market Street first Friday stop either before or after the fair grounds genuinely feasible
A visitor on Maui the first week of October 2026 could experience all three — the fair's Thursday opening night on October 1, Wailuku First Friday on October 2 (possibly combining both in one evening), and the Carmen Hulu Lindsey Falsetto Contest at the Four Seasons Wailea later in the month.
Practical Information for the Maui County Fair 2026
Fair Hours (Based on 2025 Schedule Pattern)
- Thursday, October 1: 4:30 PM to 11:00 PM (opening night)
- Friday, October 2: Expected 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Saturday, October 3: Expected 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM; Discount Ride Hours 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Sunday, October 4: Expected 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM; Fun Factory Day — first 2,000 free admission
Confirm final 2026 hours at themauifair.com/schedule as the October dates approach.
Getting to War Memorial Complex
Directions and Parking
- From Kahului Airport (OGG): Approximately 10 to 15 minutes by car via Kaʻahumanu Avenue into central Wailuku
- From Kāʻanapali Beach: Approximately 40 minutes east via the Honoapiʻilani Highway
- From Wailea: Approximately 35 to 40 minutes north via Piilani Highway
Parking
- Surface parking available at and around the War Memorial Complex; arrive early on Saturday and Sunday when the fairgrounds are at their busiest
- Additional parking available at nearby War Memorial Stadium lots and along Halia Nakoa Street
Tickets and Admission
Pricing and Access
- Admission pricing for the 2026 fair had not been officially announced at time of writing
- The 2025 (98th Annual) fair set the pricing benchmark; check themauifair.com for 2026 ticket release
- Fun Factory Day (Sunday October 4): First 2,000 attendees receive free admission
Vendor and Sponsorship Information
Opportunities and Deadlines
- Vendor applications closed May 15, 2026
- Sponsorship opportunities available at themauifair.com/sponsorship
- Food vendor selection notifications issued May 30; Products and Services exhibitor notifications June 1
Frequently Asked Questions
The Things People Always Want to Know
When is the Maui County Fair 2026?
The 99th Annual Maui County Fair runs from Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4, 2026 at War Memorial Special Events Complex, Wailuku, Maui.
Where is the Maui County Fair 2026 held?
At the War Memorial Special Events Complex, 700 Halia Nakoa Street, Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793 — approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Kahului Airport.
Is there free admission to the Maui County Fair?
The first 2,000 attendees on Sunday, October 4 receive free admission on Fun Factory Day, compliments of Fun Factory at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center and Maui Mall.
Who is running the Maui County Fair 2026?
Daryl Fujiwara of Festivals of Aloha — returning as fair director for the second consecutive year after leading the 2025 comeback edition.
How much county funding supports the Maui County Fair 2026?
Mayor Bissen proposed $1.5 million in county appropriation to support the 2026 fair.
What is the significance of the 99th Annual Maui County Fair?
It is the edition immediately preceding the centennial (100th Annual) Maui County Fair — making 2026 a historically significant year for one of Hawaii's longest continuously running community fair traditions, established in 1927.
Verified Information at a Glance
- Event: 99th Annual Maui County Fair 2026
- Category: Annual community fair
- Dates: Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Opening: October 1 at 4:30 PM HST
- Closing: October 4 at 11:00 PM HST
- Venue: War Memorial Special Events Complex, 700 Halia Nakoa Street, Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793
- Edition: 99th Annual (established 1927)
- Fair Director: Daryl Fujiwara, Festivals of Aloha
- County support: $1.5 million proposed by Mayor Richard Bissen
- Programme: Carnival rides, food vendors (nonprofit organisations), horticulture exhibits, products and services exhibit, entertainment stage, live Hawaiian music, keiki entertainment
- Fun Factory Day: Sunday October 4 — first 2,000 attendees free
- Discount Ride Hours: Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Official website: themauifair.com
- Nearest airport: Kahului Airport (OGG) — approximately 10 to 15 minutes
- Same-week companion event: Wailuku First Friday — October 2, Market Street, Wailuku (free)
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