Lahaina Plantation Days

2015 marked the finale of this pretty popular event. We went on Saturday 10÷17÷15 and the weather was nice, aside from the mugginess from underneath the beer garden’s tent, and a little muddiness here and there near the food booths from Friday’s downpour.
They had a zero-​waste theme at the event, which meant they handed out «sporks» at the entrance, made out of some kind of smooth wood, fork on one side, spoon on the other. It was a bit odd to be eating with thick wood utensils as it didn’t feel «right» in you mouth, and some of the food would get stuck in between the fork’s tines. And if you’re a germ-​a-​phobe, your hand will be touching one of the sides as you use the other, something I had an issue with. Oh well, it was for a good cause. They even went to great lengths and had manned, 4 barrel disposal sites which separated waste by compostable items, recyclables, etc. Good job!
ENTERTAINMENT:
Amy Gilliom sang excellent Hawaiian music along with some folks doing hula. Melveen Leed closed out the show with more Americanized music and an odd medley of her well-​known cover songs.
BEVERAGE:
Maui Brewing Company provided the beer, about 5 selections, all of which weren’t very cold which was a big disappointment. They also did not have their Oktoberfest beer which was my favorite at last year’s event. The new beers I tried were the Hop Kine which was bitter, and the 808 Crystal Wheat which was my favorite of the night. $ 5 a cup. Wines was available as well.
FOOD:
The food booths were a disappointment this year too. Star Noodle wasn’t there on Saturday but was on Friday. The selections of different food was alright, but the portions were mostly terribly small. I did try food from two new vendors though.
Huaka’i Luau Sampler — Made by Ohana Bar & Grill at the Kaanapali Beach Club — The $ 6 plate was probably the biggest portion size available at the event. It included a scoop of carmelized pineapple fried rice that was pretty tasty though the pineapple wasn’t detectable, a generous portion of roasted garlic & coconut leaf luau that needed more salt and flavor, kalua pork that was tender and flavorful, and two slices of purple Molokai sweet potato which were really good.
Pepperoni Mushroom Onion Pizza — Made by Prison Street Pizza — This was delish! Not bad at $ 3 for a Costco-​sized slice. The crust was thin and chewy, and the toppings very tasty along with the cheese and marinara sauce. I’m anxious to try their restaurant and bring a whole pie home!
OVERALL:
It was a nice, fun event while it lasted.

Terrible event. It was raining really heavy so their was an overabundance of mosquitoes during the event. I expected more from this event as a tourist. Not accepting cash was a hassle also. I would not recommend this, as it does not give you a full feel of the restaurants and vendors.