Aloha Friday Picks: Get Started On Your Hawaiʻi-Inspired Holiday Shopping
Visit a lavender farm on Maui, browse a craft fair on Oʻahu or shop online this weekend.
Aloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com.
Christmas is just three weeks away, so spend your weekend crossing off names on your gift list.
1. Visiting Aliʻi Kula Lavender Farm on Maui
Late last month the popular Aliʻi Kula Lavender Farm on Maui quietly reopened to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for now. There’s no admission to visit, but the farm is collecting donations to the Maui Food Bank to help feed the hungry in its community. The gift shop is open—you must wear face masks when shopping in the gift shops and only five shoppers are allowed inside at a time—but you can shop online, too, at aliikulalavender.com.
2. Shop at the Aliʻiolani Craft Fair in Honolulu
One of the most popular holiday craft fairs on Oʻahu, the Aliʻiolani Craft Fair in Kaimukī is on—with new safety protocols in place. The fair, which is free and open to the public, runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Aliʻiolani Elementary School (1240 7th Ave, Honolulu). You must wear face masks while shopping, practice social distancing and follow the one-way traffic flow. Find unique gifts made by local artisans—items you probably can’t find anywhere else. A portion of the proceeds will support the school’s programs.
3. Shop Online at Pop-Up Mākeke
Since the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down a lot of small businesses in Hawaiʻi, the nonprofit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement created Pop-Up Mākeke, a centralized online marketplace that supports more than 400 Hawaiʻi businesses selling more than 12,000 products. Find all sorts of gifts, from pareos to marinades. We love the ʻulu (breadfruit) chips by ʻUlu Mana Hawaiʻi (above). Visit popupmakeke.com.
