Waipa Hawaiian Farmers Market

Great selection of fruits, vegetables and et al! Thank you Waipa you made our stay relaxing and we are going back to the mainland with extra pounds of weight. Must try the homemade cheesecake with lilikoi and mac nut; banana bread and strawberry papaya! Parking is FREE and people are very nice from locals to tourist.

Waipa Pili Au Food Tours was amazing! It included a wonderful tour of the Waipa garden, a sampling of local foods prepared in front of us with an instructional, and introduction to the farmers market and local vendors. Must see!

Open Tuesday, 2pm. Right alongside the Kuhio Hwy in the Hanalei neighborhood.
It was raining both of the times we went there, therefore you should bring an umbrella or a rain coat. There could be a big price difference between vendors. For Example, we bought (really delicious) star fruit, 3 for $ 5. The same vendor also had bigger star fruit for $ 3 a piece. Then later we saw other vendors offering star fruit for less than $ 1. One vendor offered tangerines for $ 5 a bag, probably 8 – 10 pieces; another vendor offered 4 tangerines for $ 1. Other prices from ¹²⁄₁₆ were: pineapple, $ 7 or $ 8; a bundle of white radish, $ 3; chocolate covered frozen banana, $ 4.

For two years we have shopped this market. There is also a taro (potato) festival once a year that we have happened upon each time with Hawaiian music and hula dancers. We were told this was it until we stumbled upon farmer’s market in Kilauea on Saturday. Boy, were we buffaloed when Hanalei Farmer’s Market bragged that «they were by far the best.» Believe me – go to Kilauea instead. These folks, some of them sell their produce at both markets, have the greenest, freshest, most awesome greens! The selection is bigger and better. The vendors are polite at Kilauea.
We met some pretty rude employees of this newly owned farm, Waipa Farm, on the beach. Their properties are unmarked. They try to trap people by setting up portable toilets. Be careful not to use them! A Jehad style troll will jump out of his vehicle and harass you with an embarassing confrontation if you are hard up to take a digger. Do not be tempted!

In Hanalei on holiday, and after hitting the Safeway in Kapa’a for the basics, I was eager to get my hands on some local produce. I was very pleased to discover the Waipa Farmers Market on a Tuesday afternoon. It has a variety of vendors selling the best of what’s in season, and more. In early May, I walked away with papaya, bananas, purple sweet potatoes, lettuce, cucumber, beets, and several other fruits that I, as a haole, cannot name but am excited to try! There were also booths selling goat cheese, soaps, jewelry, macadamia nuts, Waipa Farmers Market t-​shirts, and other interesting items. I maybe could have bargained more with a few of the vendors (i.e. as a tourist, I probably got ripped off here and there), but am happy to directly support local farmers and am thrilled with my bounty of fresh fruits and veggies.

Organic lettuce, check. Limes, check. Avocados, check. Leafy greens, check, apple bananas and dragon fruit, oh yeah. Small market but if you are looking for some fresh local produce to last a few days then this is a great little market.

Nice and Generous people giving generous samples. Definitely pricier than the grocer. Stay clear of the lady selling precooked pasta. It was absolutely disgusting.

Not a huge selection, but everything I tried was great — the best bananas (apple bananas?) and mangos I’ve probably ever tasted (including South America). Also a local chocolate maker had set up shop. Everyone was very friendly, and didn’t feel overwhelmingly tourist-​centric. Really 4.5 stars, but rounded up for friendliness.

Fantastic, if small, farmers market.
Tons of samples and filled to the brim with tropical produce.

Boy do I love a good farmers market, and this one ranks up there with the best of ‘em. Located just outside of Hanalei at Waipa Ahupuaa Field, the Waipa Market runs from 2 — 4 pm on Tuesdays. And unlike back home — where you can wander into any old farm market a few minutes before they open — this market is roped off until 2 on the dot, when the gate comes down and the footrace for beautiful, fresh, tropical produce commences.
Locals and tourists alike swarm the vendors here. On each visit we’ve had to ask the friendly residents to guide us through the totally foreign fruits and veggies, which they’re all too happy to do. Mangosteen «is a very expensive habit,» according to one lady (and well worth every penny, we discovered). Rambutan is «a sweeter version of lychee» according to another (and it’s true). Aside from the fresh produce, you’ll find baked goods like coconut or lemon pie; goat cheese in flavors from artichoke heart and marinated herb to liliko’i; pink oyster mushrooms; homemade granola; and jewelry and art. Not to mention husband’s favorite: the vendors who machete off the tops of whole coconuts and then stick a straw in so you slurp up the sweet coconut milk. Fascinating *and* refreshing!
Waipa Hawaiian market isn’t a county-​sponsored Sunshine market. It’s run by the Waipa Foundation, whose mission and philosophy supports sustainability and a deeper connection to community and environment. So good on so many levels, and *well* worth your time on a Tuesday afternoon.