Shoppers at the ready — tickets will soon go on sale for Hawaiian Airlines presents the 32nd Annual Made in Hawai‘i Festival.
MIHF spokesperson Olena Heu told Aloha State Daily via email that while some sponsors have presale offers, tickets for all four days go on sale to the public at midnight on Aug. 1.
As previously reported, the days and times of the festival have changed from past years due to construction at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, where the event will be held.
The event is set for Aug. 20 to 23:
- Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Huaka‘i by Hawaiian VIP Pre-Show Buying Party. This is open to the public with limited ticket availability, and includes registered retail buyers, sponsors and VIP ticket holders. Tickets are $25.
- Friday, Aug. 21, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Preview night. Open to the public with limited ticket availability. Tickets are $20.
- Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission. Tickets are $9.
- Sunday, Aug. 23, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. General admission. Tickets are $8.
Select sponsor links will offer presale and discount opportunities for Thursday and Friday.
“Many vendors do exclusive launches and limited runs,” Heu says of the annual event. “Oftentimes, they curate specialty pieces just for the festival. Sometimes they sell out at the festival and sometimes they also have special sales on the last day (Sunday).”
This year, the event will expand to the third floor of the convention center.
“We saw a need to expand and allow for additional vendors this year,” Heu says. “We also wanted to create a more spacious and easier-to-shop environment. The third level will feature 100 brand new vendors to the festival, they will offer shopping, food and drink, a space for sitting and eating, a stage and entertainment.”
There will be more than 500 vendors this year, she noted.
MIHF is produced by the Hawai‘i Food Industry Association, or HFIA.
“For more than 30 years, the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival has served as the state’s premier showcase for locally made products, connecting thousands of residents and visitors with Hawaiʻi’s most innovative producers, artisans, and food and beverage companies,” the festival website notes. “What began as a platform to support local businesses has evolved into one of Hawaiʻi’s most anticipated annual events and a critical economic driver for hundreds of companies statewide.”
"The Made in Hawai‘i Festival is much more than a weekend event — it is an important economic driver for our state,” Lauren Zirbel, president and executive director of HFIA, said in a statement provided to ASD. “Each year, it generates millions of dollars in economic activity while giving hundreds of local businesses an opportunity to showcase their products to tens of thousands of residents and visitors. For many of our vendors, the festival is one of their highest-grossing sales events of the year, and it often leads to new wholesale accounts, retail partnerships, and long-term customer relationships. Beyond the direct sales, the festival supports local manufacturers, farmers, restaurants, hotels, transportation providers and many other businesses, creating a ripple effect that benefits Hawai‘i's economy well beyond the convention center."
A record-breaking MIHF drew approximately 70,000 attendees and generated approximately $10 million in sales in 2024. The festival saw about 70,000 visitors over three days last year and vendors reported sales just under $10 million, Heu previously told ASD.
ASD attended the festival last year and caught up with a handful of the small business owners who set up shop. Read that write-up here.
Aloha State Daily is an ‘Ohana Sponsor for the Made in Hawai‘i Festival. Stop by our booth to say “aloha,” play some games, win prizes and learn more about the work we do.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
