Strolling through a tunnel of bright tents, the vibrant air of a Kauai Farmer’s Market tantalizes all of your senses. Tropical fruits infuse the air with sweet and tangy aromas; samples of fresh-baked apple banana bread melt in your mouth; ornamental gingers and gardenias paint the scene with floral compliments; a dramatic backdrop of electric green cliff-faces spills forth as the foreign feel of exotic foods in the palm of your hand offers an experience of being totally immersed in paradise.
As Kauai awes us with it’s natural beauty, it blesses us with an abundance of edible beauty too! There’s no better way to experience this bounty than attending one of Kauai’s thriving Farmer’s Markets. Spanning the entire circumference of the island, you can find an active market on any day of the week. Each location is different, offering unique views, featured farmers, different varieties of food and local-made crafts.
For example, Kapaa hosts one of the island’s biggest Farmer’s Markets on Wednesday afternoon from 3:00-4:30. Here you will find vendors and stalls filled to the brim with local grown goods, organic produce and the largest variety of unique fruits and vegetables.
The Saturday morning market in Hanalei is an event on its own! From 9:30-12:00 you can find a delightful balance of local produce, exquisite crafts and deliciously prepared food. The scene is perfectly set with live local music emanating through the air and waterfalls gushing from the mountaintops into terraced taro fields below. One side of the market features local produce, while the other side highlights some of the islands’ most refined artists. Shop for jewelry, paintings, photography, beauty products, traditionally woven baskets, hand-turned wooden bowls or even beachy bohemian, island-inspired tie dye! Be sure not to miss Moloaa Mama at the heart of the Hanalei market, doling out smiles and sharing her translation of the island’s magnificence in an elegant display of wearable art.
As you explore the island through the lens of local life, you may notice that Kauai is renowned for fostering quality. Whether it be produce, food or handmade crafts, the environment lends itself to creations of integrity and ingenuity. Vital nutrients thrive within our volcanic soils, the sun shines generously overhead and an abundance of rain graces the ground. These conditions are not only perfect for plants to grow, you can feel growth within yourself happen too! As you feast your eyes on the sheer brilliance of what can be picked from a tree, and then taste that brilliance as it permeates your entire being, feel yourself expanding as all the elements of Kauai nourish your composition.
Take the Sugarloaf Pineapple for example. The normal decadence of a pineapple is impressive- but enhance it by ten and that is a Sugarloaf! Imagine a pineapple sweeter in flavor, way less acidic and a texture that literally feels like it’s melting in your mouth! Almost exclusively grown on the island of Kauai, select family farms have dedicated themselves to the care and craft of this valuable variety. Find Sugarloaf Pineapples at the Lihue Kauai Community Market on Saturday mornings 9:30-1:00 p.m. or in Poipu at the Kauai Culinary Market from 3:30-6 p.m.
Find A Farmer’s Market On Kauai!
During your stay on the flourishing island of Kauai, indulge your senses and feed your soul at one of the many farmer’s markets! See the island-wide schedule below:
West Side
Tuesday:
- Kalaheo Sunshine Market, Neighborhood Center, 3-4pm (produce only).
Thursday:
- Hanapepe Sunshine Market, Hanapepe Park in Old Hanapepe Town, 3-4pm.
Saturday:
- Kekaha Sunshine Market, Neighborhood Center, 9am (produce only).
South Side
Monday:
- Koloa Sunshine Market, Koloa Ball Park, 12pm (produce only).
Wednesday:
- Kauai Culinary Market, Kukuiula Shopping Village, 3:30-6pm.
East Side
Monday:
- Kukui Grove Shopping Center by Kmart, 3pm.
- Kealia Farm Market, across highway from Kealia Beach, 3-6pm.
Tuesday:
- Coconut Market Place, Kapaa, 9am-1pm.
Wednesday:
- Kapaa Sunshine Market, New Town Ball Park, 3-4:30pm (produce only).
Thursday:
- Coconut Market Place, Kapaa, 9am-1pm.
Friday:
- Kealia Farm Market, across highway from Kealia Beach, 3-7pm.
Saturday:
- Kauai Community Market, Kauai Community College (KCC), 9:30am-1pm.
North Side
Monday:
- Namahana Farmer’s Market, Banana Joe’s, 4pm to dusk.
Tuesday:
- Waipa Farmer’s Market, Waipa Ahupuaa Field, 2pm.
Thursday:
- Kilauea Market, Kilauea Neighborhood Center, 4:30pm (produce only).
Saturday:
- Namahana Farmer’s Market, Kilauea by Banana Joe’s, 9am-1pm.
- Hanalei Farmer’s Market, 9:30am-noon.
