KCC Farmers’ Market

This Farmers Market at Kapiolani Community College is always something to look forward to after a good workout around Diamond Head (a 4-​mile loop). If you can overlook the amount of people that come in by the bus loads and have the patience to wait for parking, then you’re in for a real treat with these vendors!
Saturday hours are 7:30am to 11:00am. If you arrive at 7:30am, you can easily avoid traffic and drive right into the parking lot to find a space. We like to park here first thing, then hit the pavement for a good 1-​hour run. After burning some serious calories, our stomachs look forward to some healthy & tasty treats! Yay! My favorite part!!!
First things first. Coffee! There are plenty of stands offering Kona or Maui coffees on ice. But my favorite is making a stop at PacifiKool for a ginger drink called «The Fix.» It’s a mixture of Hawaiian Ginger Syrup, Maui Medium Roast Coffee, Spices, and Milk poured over ice for $ 3.50. Love it! If you like ginger, you will certainly love the offerings at this booth.
Now for some protein. I normally like to have a small plate of eggs, rice & SPAM at home (which is also available here, too), but I try to be a little more adventurous when I’m here. I tend to make a stop at Kukui Sausage for some spicy goodness in a bun topped off with sauerkraut & mustard for $ 5. Hits the spot every time.
Then there’s The Pig & The Lady that serves Vietnamese street food. If you just can’t make it to their restaurant located downtown, visit them here! But, beware. The line is always long, but sooooo worth the wait! Their portable kitchen is pretty impressive and there’s such a variety of Noodles and Banh Mi sandwiches to choose from. My favorite is the «Phở French Dip.» It’s so flavorful, you’ll be coming back for more! I’ve also had their vegetarian Phở which is a perfect compliment to the Banh Mi (and large enough for sharing!). You can certainly tell their Phở is made with love and must’ve taken hours for preparation because their broth is so delicious!
Sweet tooth? Check out the Greek booth serving up baklava. OMG (with my eyeballs rolled back)! Yummy!
Then there’s the fresh vegetables at great prices. Our pickups are usually Upo (white squash), tomatoes, and Chinese string beans. They also carry plenty bananas, mangoes, pineapples, avocado (and their big, too!), and other unique tropical fruits. $ 2.00 per bag or per pound is typical.
Fresh tropical flowers for $ 3.50 to $ 5.00 a bundle are also available. These seem to be a very popular purchase as soon as the market opens.
Upon entering the market, there’s the Hawaii Farm Bureau. You can purchase a reusable bag (I’ve had mine since 2008!) and borrow a straw mat in case you’d like to roll it out in the grass for you to enjoy all of the good eats.
On your way out, check out the cactus garden. It’s very well designed and picturesque! Nice touch to the campus.
Have fun!

One of the busiest markets on the island serves some of the freshest vegetables maybe not at the lowest prices but decent. When I am up early enough, when it’s not too cold, when I am in the area, when I am not too sleep, when I’ve atleast had a cup of coffee, when… well, once i’m there parking is easy and I do get prime parking not too far to walk.
Standing waiting to get in it is interesting to watch the tourist come in. Why are they here? Because they want more vegetables in their meals? To buy local fruits at cheaper prices? Maybe they heard food is cheap here? Well, I’m here for breakfast. If I’m up that early, oh yeah I’m buying something to eat.
This market operates on Saturday and Tuesdays. I go on Saturdays. Haven’t been there on Tuesday yet.
There are several flower vendors, fresh and bright colors. The few seafood vendors are top notch, abalone and fish are very popular. I do like there are some vegetables that you don’t see often at the other markets but are here consistently. The locals are here for the fruits and vegetables. The eats are a hit and miss but since i’m here for breakfast there hasn’t been a bad one yet. It is the easiest meal to prepare imho.
It doesn’t take long to go through but it could be faster if I didn’t have to maneuver through the throngs of people, locals and tourist. Now, I’m awake.

its okay. I like the farmers market at King’s Village and on the corner of Ali Wai Canal & Kapahulu just as much as this one, maybe even more. It was very crowded (by 11 am), and its a lot of prepared foods, and a few garden veggies and fruits. no local craft or art, that I saw.
Its okay, if you are already out in the area, for a hike at Diamond Head. Take the # 23 bus from Kuhio Ave. (2.50) per adult.

Well going there it gets pretty crowded but not with locals I’d say it’s about 85% or more tourist but even though if you are looking for fresh produce there’s a abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables galore I like to visit Nalo Farms, and Vilath farms due to the Arugula and fresh spinach they have but I browse thru some of the other produce booths too looking for goods to buy. There are a lot of food booths and great food but that’s what all the tourist are going for so it keeps them busy eating leaving all the veggies for me and us few locals there gathering up the veggies hehe, The only bad is the whew smell from the abalone grilling otherwise it’s a great place just to eat, get your produce and fruits and to listen to the musician playing for the crowd. Parking gets a bit crowded but if you go early it’s not a problem I’m in and out of there with my stash in less than half an hour hehe…

I love this market. It’s jam packed with culture, food, history etc. You can literally travel the world through the food and culture offered here. If I had to narrow it down and choose my top 3 must try dishes it would have to be the custard cruffin, the kouign amann and the ahi sliders. Omg these 3 dishes will leave you yearning for more.

This is an awesome farmer’s market to check out, especially if you still have a few days left in your vacation so that you can sample all the different fruits they sell here. Definitely come early to avoid the crowds, and be able to find parking. Don’t miss the place to turn in for the parking lot (shortly after entering the college); otherwise, you have to drive alllllll the way up the hill and loop back around. We came in an hour after they opened and it was crowded, but we were able to walk around slowly. My favorite stands were the ones with tons of different types of fruits you don’t find on the mainland. They also have food vendors, so you have a meal here. I got to try OnoPops (good consistency but I didn’t like the flavor I got) and the grilled abalone (just ok, overhyped). I loved the Hawaiian Chip Co. stand since you can sample all their different types of chips (Kiawe BBQ Taro is my fave!). We also tried:
–Custard Cruffin ($ 4,
): Yum, this was really, really good– a must try! The exterior was a little crispy/​crunchy, and the inside was fluffy with the perfect ratio of creamy custard.
–Red Flesh Dragonfruit (
): Super pretty, but didn’t taste like much (typical of all dragonfruits).
–Mango & White Guava (
): The mango was delicious, and we actually tried 2 – 3 types of mangos. All were super juicy and sweet. The white guava had a weird perfume-​y taste to it, and I wouldn’t get it again.
I will hopefully have the chance to come back to this Farmer’s Market on my next trip to Hawaii!

Went here back in August while visiting Hawaii. GREAT farmers market! So many fun foods to try and local food to buy. I’m not a Hawaii local but I LOVE supporting them! The market is kind of big (well, compared to what we have here on the East coast :/​) and everyone is very friendly! They have busses that will take you to and from the market (public transportation) and its worth it. Unless you like walking, which, what Hawaiian doesn’t?! Highly recommended if you like trying local, funky, fun and DELICIOUS food!

I have been putting off going to this particular farmers market due to the crowds. Lol. The feelings of being claustrophobic, and walking a few feet at time, and being elbow to elbow due to the masses of tourists, discouraged me from venturing out there. Well, I woke up around 7am on a Saturday morning, and said «I’m going to go, I need some greens»! :)
It’s location is within the parking lot of KCC by diamond head. It’s in an area that attracts numerous amounts of tourists where they can hike to the top, and view the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I arrived around 9am, and it was busy, but not too overwhelming where I became intimidated.
I absolutely love the fact that there was so many local venders. I ended up stopping at pig and the lady, pacific cool for an island ginger ale, and eat pao nosh Hawaii for cheese bread. There was many farms selling their locally sourced products such as honey, sea salt, and vegetables. I would have to come back to purchase a couple of beautiful orchids that I saw on the way out. I had a couple of errands to complete, and carrying orchids with me all day did not seem ideal.
I went with a goal to purchase greens to be healthy for the week. I ended up not doing so. Lol. Well it’s open every Saturday at 7:30am-11am. I can always come back. Yea!!! I braved the crowds and survived;)

Intro:
— Pop-​up Saturday Farmers’ Market at 7:30am– 11am.
— At Kapiolani Community College at the backside of Diamond Head.
— Free.
— The biggest Farmer’s Market in Honolulu.
Pro:
— This Market is for everyone: vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-​free folk included.
— Freshly brewed Kona coffee, grab and go.
— Locally grown produce.
— There’s nothing wrong with packed Ramen, but your taste buds will be more satisfied with some fresh prepared Pad Thai Noodles.- of course!
— Very appetizing food which will fuel your whole morning before you Diamond Head hike, or post you hike.
— You will find fresh local fish, honey, macadamia nuts, rare tropical fruit jams, hand-​made ice cream, and more.
— Most of the stallholders accepts credit cards.
Cons:
— Very packed. Locals and tourists.
Three and Half Unilocal

Kamuela Tomatos has so fresh gazpacho and caprese. Yummy
Small kine farm has great organic mushrooms. Coldfyre ice creams and sorbets are terrific: pumpkin is my personal favorite. Hawaiian Crown Kunia pineapples, bananas, and their own Hilo grown cacao/chocolate’s the best

Although I live on the west side, I get up early and drive almost across the island for this farmers market.
I love supporting local businesses and this farmers market has a lot. Lots of local farmers such as Ho Farms and Nalo Farms.
There are also many places to eat. A few popular spots are The Pig and the lady, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Sushi Sliders. For good breakfast, I like Grandma G’s.
Only downfall is the parking sucks. There’s lots of parking but there are so much people that it fills up. Still worth going!

As far as farmers markets go I like this one very much. I’m not sure but it seems that although it’s farm to market the product is more expensive. That’s ok. Quality over Quantity.
I usually get there by 7 am for the best parking. Sometimes I go hike up diamond head and sometimes I’ll just hit the market. You’ll see a long line of tourists but when the air horn sounds it’s lunch time in a Chinese railway. Everywhere is an entrance.
My favorites are:
1 The booth the pickled stuff. I only buy ogo because I have my own brine.
2 Andys hot sauce. It’s great but I’ve actually found the source. He’s my neighbor
3 Roasted corn with garlic herb and furikake
4 Otsuri farms for the ahi on kale tortilla chips
5 Ice cream from either the all natural truck or Coldfyyr
6 Mochi Strawberries
7 Sweet kettle popcorn
8 Pizza
9 Honey
10 Frankie’s nursery has some pretty cool fruit
11 I’m not sure what it costs but I won’t pay more than $ 5 for a chilled coconut
12 Grab a plant or two
13 Find the best price for long on and lychee
14 Pick up some iced coffee or a ginger cooler. Should’ve been first on the list!

I’m visiting Hawaii from Australia and wanted to try local food at a market.
Checking out other Unilocalers reviews, I knew I gotta get down the KCC Farmers Markert.
I was not disappointed! The food that is on offer is delicious, fresh and there is so much to choose from.
I sampled a Lilikoi ice pop from «Onopops», green fried tomatoes from «Two Hot Tomatoes», Takoyaki from «Yama-​chan», hot dog from «off the grill», Lilikoi chiffon pie from «sweet revenge», pineapple float from «Hawaiian crown plantation» and a pesto/​tomato pizza slice from «Big wave tomato». Phew that was a lot! Lol
Everything my hubby and I ate was
!
All food was fresh and onolicious.
The KCC farmers market is a must if your on vacation in Hawaii!

Just have to give this farmer’s market all the praise it deserves. So worth checking out at least once, but we will definitely be back!
It’s big and busy with so much to see and try and bring home. Careful not to get distracted and leave any bags behind like I did (sadface! :(bye bye beets).
They are in full swing, rain or shine. There are a lot of tourists, so if you like taking pictures of EVERYTHING you will fit right in. I certainly did.
Some highlights:
There is a man who sells young coconuts. He will open the top and give you straws to drink it. After a stroll, you bring it back to him when you’ve finished, and he will cut it up for you so you can eat it!
The Pig & the Lady had an awesome lineup on their menu. My husband loves Banh Mi. The bread was fresh and perfect, as was everything on the sandwich. Great portion!
There is a stand that has a croissant muffin or «cruffin» filled with custard. DO NOT PASS THIS UP.
We also had pineapple lilikoi juice in a mason jar, and they also offered mango pineapple and pineapple yuzu. We will be back to try the others.
Hibachi has a combo poke bowl that was so amazing. Not too much rice, lots of tuna. 3 kinds: spicy tobiko, ginger shoyu, and Wasabi sea asparagus. Onions were just right for flavor.
So fun and memorable. Not your small town farmer’s market, which have their own charm, but perfect for who it does serve: the crowds!

So I must admit, at some point in my longing-​for-​small-​town-​Honolulu past, I got a little jaded about how HUGE (and crowded) this farmers market had become… so much so, that I’ve actually stayed away for the past several years! Fast forward to July 2015, when I started volunteering with a non-​profit project/​booth here (GIFT: Give It Fresh Today, what a concept!!)…which basically ‘forced’ me to venture back, on a regular basis.
Despite some slight anxiety on Day 1 of my do-​gooding – telling myself I’d never have to come back if everything went terribly wrong – I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s really NOT the parking nightmare (or tourist trap) that I’d feared it had become! All of the vendors seem to be super nice local folks who really appreciate business from other locals, and the prices are decent… produce actually gets pretty cheap for the last hour or so! Here’s a quick rundown:
TIMING – Market opens at 7am, and this is the ideal time to go, if you’re an earlybird by nature (or design). Parking is SUPER easy then, you get the first pick of the produce, and it’s still nice and cool, so you won’t sweat too much while strolling around. Note: There IS a crowd of ppl waiting to enter, the minute the market opens… but that’s nothing compared to the crowds yet to come! Personally, I am NOT an early bird, so 9am is just right for me… and good timing too, bc the «first wave» of folks seems to be leaving then, so all of the ugh-​factors above are still not too bad.
PARKING – Just getting into the parking lot can be a little frustrating, but the quickest entry point seems to be on Makapuu, though that only leads to the Ewa-​side parking lot. Personally, I prefer waiting to get into the main entrance on Monsarrat, b/​c once you’re in there, you can turn RIGHT to get to the Kokohead-​side parking lot, which is literally next to all of all the booths! So far – knock on wood! – there have always been empty spots when I went at 9am… it’s less than 20 yards to the nearest booth! 0=) Shhh, secret!
VENDORS – There’s always a wide selection, & it’s basically like a massive food festival every week. B/​c the event is run by the Farm Bureau, they ensure that ALL of the produce sold here is sourced from local farms, & even the prepared foods use locally-​grown ingredients, love it! At KCC market, I’d say the booths are about ²⁄₃ prepared foods, ¹⁄₃ fresh goods (but that includes «in between» items like Kona Abalone – so yummy! – and chilled coconuts w/​a straw in them).
RESTROOMS – The nice lady at the info booth will direct you to the ones up by the cafeteria («just follow the arrows»), which are kinda far, but very nice & clean, looks fairly new. As an added bonus, these restrooms have open access to an AIR-​CONDITIONED area with tables & chairs (dimly lit by sunlight from outside), where you can cool off & hang out a bit. Phew! This is a godsend, given our weather lately (record highs!!).
All in all, I’m so glad to have rediscovered KCC open market, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to visitors & kama’aina alike. Whether you just need one bunch of kale, or go all-​out for breakfast, lunch & an entire week’s worth of groceries, this is a great way to spend your morning, and show your support for our local farmers!

On the way to Diamond head this morning, my friend and I stopped by this farmer’s market. It was a very different farmer’s market that I’m used to. Its basically a market with less farmer’s around. There are more vendors selling goods than actual produce. I think it’s catered more for tourists although it seems like not a lot of people know about it. Although by the time I got there at 8:30 am, it’s bustling with a good crowd of people drinking juices, trying out samples, eating honey, and plant searching. I’m quite surprised that there isn’t the typical jewelry, hats, or stand scarves. Its actually mostly food. I’d say it’s more closely related to food market than farmers.
My friend and I got lemonades for three bucks, kale tempura and mushroom tempura like for 9 bucks.

For Tuesday night only:
I’m so thrilled I have another small, dinner time farmers market to go to in my new neighborhood. I have really been missing Olays pad Thai and my Makiki farmers market when I walked over here one summer afternoon.
This is a great spot to bring the whole family! They have live music, several different food and farmer stands and mats to borrow to sit on the grass and enjoy the evening with.
I tried a Coldfyrre ice cream sandwich for $ 4, super Ono! Then was over joyed to find Olays here too! Got some pad Thai to go. Next time I might try the Indian, or poke. So much better than the craziness that is Saturday morning.

One of the best farmers’ market anywhere! I try to go every time I visit the island. You can find it on your way to Diamond Head. This hidden gem is located at the Kapiolani Community College campus. They have freshly made food and drinks. It can get busy but there is ample parking located on the campus and it’s free. They have some of the best local poke! I would also recommend trying the fresh lemonade, fried green tomatoes, corn with furikake, and sausages. There is also plenty of fresh fruit you can buy at the farmers market.
If you’re visiting Oahu KCC Farmers’ market is definitely worth the drive or walk! This place has 5 stars written all over it free parking, cheap local food, and variety of vendors.

KCC Farmers’ Market is held at the foot of Diamond Head on the Kapiolani Community College’s campus. This is perfect to go to on Saturday mornings after a morning hike up Diamond Head.
There are plenty of vendors at the Farmers market with products such as fruit, veggies, abalone, sea shrimp, local honey and coffee, macadamia nuts, and prepared foods (bakeries, pesto pizza, fried green onion, takoyaki) and fruit drinks galore.
Highlights of food that I ate were the acai bowl, and takoyaki, fresh papaya, and iced coffee. I’d give yourself about an hour to stroll around to explore and eat, especially since some places have a bit of a line while waiting for your food.
Also, next to the parking lot, there’s an AWESOME cactus garden that I recommend checking out if you have extra time.
Definitely wear sunscreen and a hat because it gets HOT.

I love the camaraderie I feel whenever I visit the KCC Farmers’ Market. There’s nothing like waking up early on a Saturday morning and heading down to pick up a breakfast or lunch plate made from fresh, local products.
Some people complain about the crowds here — that it’s become a commercialized tourist attraction — but really, I think that’s all part of the experience. I mean, come on – it’s a market! You’re going to be waiting in lines at the popular stalls and rubbing elbows with your fellow shoppers. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
My boyfriend Jake and I never go super early because hey, it’s Saturday. While we don’t get there as early as some people, parking has never really been an issue for us. You can park in the lower KCC lot for free, but it gets pretty clogged in there. My main piece of advice is to be patient. There are people coming and going often, so you’re bound to find a stall despite the chaos.
A lot of booths offer free samples. You’ll find a lot of local honey, jams and jellies, even coffee stands where you can get a little taste of the product before buying (or not).
KOKO CRATER COFFEE ROASTERS: Let’s be honest — going to a farmer’s market means you’re probably up earlier than you should be on a Saturday. That means you need ENERGY. Koko Crater Coffee Roasters is usually the first booth on the right as you enter the market, and you won’t find better coffee. An iced Thai latte ($ 4) always wakes me right up. They normally only do wholesale, so pick up a bag! They’re perfect for gifts, and you can get it ground too!
WAIMANALO COUNTRY FARMS: If coffee isn’t your thing, freshly squeezed lemonade will more than hit the spot on a hot morning. This is where you can buy your own souvenir jar of their famous lemonade, original or flavored. If you’ve already been, don’t forget to bring your jar back for a discounted refill price! If you’re not looking to add another mason jar to your collection, a cup will run you $ 4.
During our most recent visit, the breakfast burrito ($ 7) from the Kahuku Farm’s stand caught my eye. Normally they specialize in freshly roasted corn you gnaw right off the cob, but this time they were also offering a selection of special pancakes and other breakfast items. The burrito was big and full of potato hash, eggs, sausage, and topped with fresh, flavorful vegetables. I highly recommend it.
The aspiring chefs from the KCC culinary school even have a booth! You’ll want to stop by and see what they’re serving up because Jake got some taro kalua pork sliders for only $ 7, and they looked *delicious.*
I’m looking forward to trying some of the dishes from Two Hot Tomatoes. Aside from their famous fried green tomatoes, by the time I saw that they had deep fried zucchini and sweet Maui onion rings I was already too full to make room! You can bet I’ll be back soon for sure. Support your local farmers and head on down!
BRING CASH: Most stalls are cash only, although a select few may except credit cards. If you plan on eating here, I would definitely make sure to have cash on you.