Hawaii State Farm Fair

This year after the long wait for the Farm Fair was long awaited by many locals, which turned out to a long a waited outing, bring the grandkids!A lot was disappointed of the long lines which was crazy because they had a parking lot one side pass the Kualoa beach park and another one on the the Kualoa beach park side but the lines to start to enter started all the way from the Kualoa park side by the Chinaman Hat entrance so from 1 end to the other you need to walk instead of having 1 line enter from the Kualoa Ranch entrance and 1 line from the Kualoa Beach area would have made more sense.The they cut down the seating area from 2 large tent to only 1 tent that it was packed with lots of customers waiting with there food for pretty long time for space to open up.The Farm Animal area was also cut down so the space was very cramped and less displays of different farm animals with only a few on hand that was being auctioned off only.They local product tent was about the same size and they had new local products, not many but vendors but larger displays of their products.The Inflatables area was pretty large with lots of different kinds of inflatables for the kids which was good.The horse riding area was very busy looked like the entrance to get into the fair, but the dedicated parents braved the hot sun and long lines and waited.Hope they change the way they handled this years fair, because hear a lot of disgruntled customers from the entrance and eating areas! Yes we need to support our local farmers, which by the showing of the customers that came to the fair, but to keep them coming hope they made improvements on handling the arrival and seating areas for dining and some of the exhibits of farm animals.Potable toilet only and none outside with the long lines waiting to get in?

Can't believe 2019 is the 57th Annual Hawaii State Farm Fair, and this is my first time going?! And less than ten Yelp reviews!?I do need to correct myself, because I had a strong feeling of going to something like the Hawaii State Farm Fair with all the animals as a kid, but it was at Aloha Stadium. Indeed so as the State Farm Fair was held in Aloha Stadium from 1995 (McKinley High School before that), then Kapolei and Bishop Museum, and finally Kualoa Ranch started hosting this event in 2012.I'm glad this event is being held at KualoaRanch because it makes sense! It's the perfect venue to showcase Hawaii's plants, livestock, local products, and agriculture. The environment is great and you have such a beautiful backdrop of the blue Pacific Ocean, the blue sky and white clouds, and Chinaman's Hat on one side, and the Koolau Mountain range on the other.I came here on Sunday and it was an hour drive getting there with one mile of traffic before arriving. There's A LOT of parking with two large lots on the fields, plus the regular parking in Kualoa Ranch. I luckily got one paved stall.This event is CASH ONLY, so you better fill up your wallet before coming here. There is an ATM near the entrance and inside, if needed. Entry is $5 per adult, and it is free for students with valid ID and keiki (no age indicated). If I go with my parents, am I keiki? :pWe were most interested in the plant and produce sale, but when we arrived, there was no produce at all besides corn. But at least the plants had a good amount left with many interesting and unique plants. Most were very nice and reasonably priced. We ended up with a nice bird of paradise plant.There were a lot of exhibits and vendors that were really interesting, especially knowing how certain plants are grown and the process and the labor it takes to produce from start to finish.There were many kids activities for all age ranges with small carnival rides, pony rides (I wanted to do this too!! But it doesn't work when I'm the same size as the pony lol!), and an interactive, hand on activity that teaches kids aspects of farming.You can see some cows, pigs, chickens, lambs, rabbits, chicks, and even ready to be hatched eggs. Still cool to watch a baby chick egg hatch.There are food vendors as well with a decent mix, but nothing interesting. The main vendor is the Kualoa Ranch one that serves its own cultivated beef, and the 6.5-pound burger! A closer look stated the beef patty is only three pounds and the rest is three and a half. Still a beast!Overall, I very much enjoyed the Hawaii State Farm Fair with so many activities, exhibits, plants, and etc. I'll come earlier, or on Saturday next time to catch the local produce sale. Kualoa Ranch is a beautiful place and the perfect venue for the event. I'm looking forward for next year and the years to come.

I'm sure I came to this fair as a kid when it was at McKinley High school, but I can't remember much. For the past few years, I've debated going, but it's such a far drive, that I never made it till now. And now we're realizing what an awesome event this is - we'll definitely be back!We went on Sunday afternoon, and wished we came earlier! Gotta remember for next time: - sign up for the mini movie tour for $5 as soon as you get there! By the time we saw it offered, all tours were sold out! - go on the Saturday to get the best pick of produce and plants! By the time we left, they only had corn and bananas - though the corn was selling 10 for $2.50 (slashed from 10 for $5, maybe $1 initially? Bananas were for $1.50/bunch). - bring a stroller and LOTS and LOTS of cold water, umbrella, hats, etc! It's HOT! (Thanks for the yelp tips for this - came in super handy!) - We got free passes, but otherwise, they offered $1 discounts if you show a coupon. - no free meadow gold treats, but we did get a chocolate cookie from 7-11 and cute honey bottle for the kids - We also got a sample of eggs after listening about the egg farm - just gotta redeem our coupon for 6 free eggs in the Kalihi farm in the next couple of weeks! - Our daughter enjoyed the different free activities: milking a fake cow, riding the toy and big tractors, looking at the animals, checking out farm equipment, doing the bee keeper activities, planting a seed in an egg, and raking hay - She also liked the paid rides and bouncy houses, though we tried to limit her to just 2-3, which were $2-3 each. - We had a ball watching the watermelon and chili pepper eating contests! The contestants were brave and entertaining! - We shared a regular burger (grass fed!) and chili nachos from the Ranch, and both were delicious. Maybe next year we'll go for the Jurassic burger! - We also purchased some interesting produce from the Ranch: $3 breadfruit (soo yummy roasted!) and $2 sapote (looked interesting).It was a gorgeous, relaxing day with the family. Highly recommend visiting this fair!

This was our family's first year attending the Farm Fair, and we will definitely be annual fair-goers from here on out. The venue could not be more perfect for this type of event. There is an abundance of free parking, beautiful surroundings (koolaus on one side, the ocean and Chinaman's Hat on the other), and spacious fair grounds. Lots of space for the kids to run around in a safe environment. There are a lot of fascinating and educational exhibits. The most fun exhibit is the livestock tent where you get to see animals such as chickens, chicks, goats, pigs, cows, etc. up close. If you catch them at the right time you even get to pet some of them. The "Keiki Farm Hands" area is a fun and interactive area for the kids to learn about farming.The only thing I wish they had more of were food vendors - esp. beverage vendors. Don't miss this event next summer!

Please correct me if I am wrong, but if my memory is still intact, I think I used to go to the Farm Fair with my mom & sisters when it was at the McKinley High School grounds and/or the Aloha Stadium. That was many years ago.Recently, in the past couple of years, this event moved to Kualoa Ranch where there is more space and FREE parking. It seems less cluttered and more organized. The parking attendants are very alert and guide you to a parking in a designated area. There are many signs & cones to help you; and the location is easy to find.The children have many activites: bouncers, horse rides, crafts, educational booths, games, etc. I had taken my friends' daughters one year and they had so much fun! Two years in a row, I have atttended with my God Daughter from Virginia! Her mom & I were friends since Kindergarten! They love to buy local coffee, salad dressings, cookies, and other gifts to take home to the mainland. We also enjoy eating the local foods and snacks! Their family makes it a point to buy some pineapple and watermelon to take home to eat - yum!. It's a great family event because people of all ages because everyone will find something that interests them. The children get to pet the animals - sometimes the farmers carry chickens and hold them so that they can get some love, too! The kupuna can just relax under the entertainment tent - Frank DeLima was one of the highlights this year! Everyone can enjoy the plants, fresh produce, cut flowers, and activities from the vendors. Come out to this annual event - it's worth the drive to the Windward side! Just remember to bring your $5 cash entrance fee! Have some lunch & dinner there! Enjoy the fresh air & beautiful scenery!

First time attending the Farm Fair and was pleasantly surprised. Went with hubby and 2 kids under 5 years old. PROS: -Ample free parking, with attendants helping to manage parking area. -Kids free, adults $5.00 ($1.00 off if you show instagram pic). -Free activities for kids. Rides about $2-$3 (must buy tickets)-Free farm animal viewing area, sometimes you can feed them!-Plenty portapotties (only one sink though)-Tented eating areas with tables and chairs (bring mats to sit on the grass too).-Good food and reasonably priced. -Free popsicles from Meadow Gold. -Plant sale offered awesome variety and prices were appropriate. -$1.00 pineapples! Corn, papaya, sweet potatoes available for purchase. CONS:-Bounce houses need age ranges posted. Some were NOT appropriate for children under 3 years old. WHAT TO BRING!Water, water, water, water, WATER!!! CASH! There were ATMs available. Sunscreen, wide brimmed hat, dress for the burning heat of the sun. A big umbrella for shade (it was SUNNY!) and stroller or cart for kids and/or all the fruits you gonna buy. Handwipes, there was ONE sink but no soap. Put the kidlets in shoes with socks (the bouncy house gets hot). That's all I can think of for now. Enjoy! Have fun!!!!

Last year I worked the Fair as part of the Dept of Agriculture. This year I got to go with my son and some friends. Parking was easy to find, line was the shortest I've ever seen, we got there around 10:50am. There's so much to see and do and eat. I decided why not do an eating contest. I entered the Jurassic burger challenge, this $33 burger is 6.5lbs of beer, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, tomato and lettuce on a kings Hawaiian bread. It takes up the whole plate. We had 10 minutes to eat it all or the crowd would decide who the winner was. I lost in a way but took home the rest of that massive burger that will feed us for the week...no joke! Didn't need to eat after that so I got a strawberry lemonade and water bottles and enjoyed walking around looking at the animals, plants and we took a $5 movie tour for 45 minutes and had an awesome tour guide that made us laugh all the way. Plenty of families enjoying their time and many smiles all over. It gets hot so bring umbrellas, big hats and plenty water.There's probably 20 or so porta potties which I never saw a line for any of them. There was a 2 sink area with plenty soap for washing your hands no towels so air dry it is. The fair is held at Kuoloa Ranch and the background of the mountains and the beach across the street is a beautiful setting for a fun 2 day event. Eat Local, shop local and support our Ohana.

My husband and I attended this fair for the first time. We weren't sure what to expect. Everyone was really nice and things seemed to be organized. The first thing we did was build our own Lei. That was fun. Never did that before. Then we got lunch. There was plenty of seating and trash cans. We then looked at the animals and farm equipment. Finally we looked at the education tent. That was really nice, we got a free cucumber plant. Parking was ample but a little more direction would have been appreciated. Overall, we had a nice time and would return next year and recommend it to others.

What a great way to spend the day for the whole family. Just make sure you bring an umbrella, hats and wear lots of sunscreen! :)Admission is only $5 for Adults, and Keiki 12 and under were free. Hit up the ATM prior to going, because admission is CASH ONLY. We heard quite a few people turning around disgusted because they didn't have enough cash on them. Free parking is located on the grass fields of Kualoa Ranch. There were lots of parking attendants walking and or riding around on ATV's helping drivers find a parking spot.My daughter loved the horse rides. It was a short ride once around the stable, but it was only $5.There were so many tents full of food, produce, plants etc for sale. We bought a pretty nice sized watermelon there for only $2.We had a lot of fun and captured some great photos of our daughter.

FREE admission with a validated student ID. Sweet.The first area I checked out was the Educational Tent. It's super awesome. A lot of different farms and busniesses raising awareness about local products, etc. They also give away lots of samples: popcorn, coffee, char siu, etc. If you get hungry, there's a selection of food booths to choose from, including the Kualoa Ranch booth. Kualoa's Ranch burgers is a little expensive (around $10 for a burger with no veggies ot condiments on it). Maybe it's the quality of the burger you're paying for...or the small fancy bamboo plate it comes on? Either way, I would try a different booth to get more bang for your buck. Thankfully, none of the other booths are as pricey. If you're thirsty, good luck..... just kidding! Bring your own water bottle or beverage with you. For reals. There is only one booth serving lemonade and it's the one with the longest line. There are a few other tents as well: Nursey, Keiki, etc. The nursery is pretty neat. Lots of plants to see. Coffee plants, herb plants, etc. You can buy one and bring it home.There's an area for kids too- interactive farm props, pony rides, etc.All in all, I had a good time. Think I'll go again next year :-)