Made in Hawaii Festival will go on, online

Made in Hawaii Festival will go on, online

If you missed the virtual celebration of the 26^th Annual Made in Hawaii Festival, don’t despair! You can still enjoy shopping for your favorite local products at the new, year-round Made in Hawaii Festival Marketplace. The event’s popular cooking demonstrations and musical entertainment are also available for viewing on the site.

This year's virtual festival welcomed more than 100,000 unique visitors to the Made in Hawaii Festival Marketplace over the three-day Statehood Day weekend, in contrast to the 60,000 attendees the in-person festival has recorded in recent years. The virtual format also helped to expand the customer base well beyond Oahu residents and visitors, with shoppers from across the United States and even as far away as Japan. 

Central Pacific Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Central Pacific Bank, committed to supporting the Marketplace because it aligns with the Foundation’s goal of strengthening Hawaii communities through partnerships, collaborations, and signature programs.

Susan Utsugi, CPB’s Business Banking Senior Vice President talks with Kanoe Gibson of Hawaii News Now about our partnership.

Since large gatherings are not possible during the pandemic, it is especially important to sustain this treasured event that has grown since 1995 from 61 exhibitor booths to 450 in 2019.

Hawaii’s small businesses need opportunities to expand their reach and taking the Festival online helps diversify our economy by exporting their products abroad.

The Festival offers no better place to support “buy Hawaii.” Shoppers have access to 200 vendors who offer a wide range of merchandise including native art, apparel, music, pet products and much more. All products featured in the marketplace are carefully screened to ensure they meet Made in Hawaii’s strict standards of quality, craftsmanship and authenticity.

Find Festival updates at MadeinHawaiiFestival.com or by following @MadeInHI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.