If you find yourself on Maui on a Saturday, do yourself a favor and check out a local Maui favorite- the Maui Swap Meet. It really is the best thing going on a Saturday morning on Maui. For a measly 75 cents per person, this is an amazing local experience that you won’t regret.
Maui Locals’ Favorite- The Best Maui Swap Meet
What to Expect at the Maui Swap Meet
Make no mistake, the Maui Swap Meet is a local favorite activity. Only open on Saturday, you’ll need to either plan accordingly or rearrange your schedule (like we did) and accept some Aloha spirit into your day. The swap meet is near the downtown area of Kahului but on the University of Hawaii Maui College campus which means plenty of parking. The signage is clear, regardless of your approach to the campus, so don’t worry about missing the turn.
The entry fee is 75 cents, cash only and $1 bills are certainly preferred (ask me how I know). The meet has food offerings, local produce stands, and a plethora of local crafts (as well as mass produced merch for your tourist needs).
Produce Stands
The reason the locals visit is undoubtably the local produce stands. The variety of fresh fruits an vegetables is amazing. The avocados were the size of a softball and they had more ‘new-to-me’ fruit than I’ve ever seen. No matter what you’re looking for you will find it at one of the many local providers. Pick up some road snacks before making the trek to Hana!
Food Trucks
I love me a good food truck and they represented at the meet. We ate at Yellow Belly for their Mexican, grabbed a shaved iced coffee for a sweet treat, and found a gluten-free bread stand.
The Yellow Belly Food Truck has some of the most amazing Mexican I’ve ever had, in Maui or Cabo! We got the Chili Relleno burrito and tamale bowl. Both were amazing and we wish we could have eaten more or again on another day. It was that good. The flavors were well balanced, the portions bordered on too big, the service was quick considering the food is made to order, and the staff was kind and helpful.
My wife is gluten intolerant so finding a gluten-free bread place was pretty cool. She got the Lilikoi Bread that made an excellent road snack for our drive to Hana.
Local Merchants
Of course it is a Swap Meet so there have to be merchants selling their wares. The majority were aimed at the tourist. In addition to the mass produced t-shirts you’d expect, there were also many craftsmen and artisans who were selling quality handmade items from local materials. Artistic, religious, and traditional themes can be found in woodcarvings, paintings, postcards, clothing, and accessories (think rings and earrings). Pretty much, if you wanted it or didn’t know what you wanted, you’d be able to find it at the Maui Swap Meet.
Wanderlog Guide
We maintain Guides for all our Trips over at our Wanderlog website profile page. Our visit to the Maui Swap meet was part of our bigger trip to Maui. You can find the guide for this trip, and others, on that page. If you enjoy, give us a like and follow. Thank you, and Happy Traveling!