Saturday Market Returns to Kaunakakai

Engraving Pro owner Michael Haspiel and Friend Keahi Hanakahi. Photo by Leo Azambuja

Photo by Leo Azambuja

For many years, the Saturday Market in Kaunakakai was a gathering place for the community. Vendors sold produce, food, clothing, art, crafts and much more – until the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the market in early 2020. It might have taken four years for the market to return to town, but it has officially kicked off last Saturday.
“This is very exciting,” ceramic artist Kim Markham said. “After COVID, we stopped going to people’s houses, we stopped doing a lot of things, so coming to the Saturday Market every week I get to meet a lot of people, and I get to see a lot of people I haven’t seen a long time. It’s like a big party.”
Markham, co-founder of the Molokai Arts Center, said the nonprofit organization had been looking for a site to bring back the market for quite some time. It only happened after they joined efforts with the Molokai Community Health Center, allowing the market to take place in the health center’s property in Kaunakakai.
Milton Cruz is the Hawai‘i Director at Aharo, the organization that oversees five different health centers spread across four islands, including Molokai Community Health Center. He said Saturday’s event brought 32 vendors, but there’s still room for more.
“This is the first one and we’re looking to expand and bring in more vendors,” said Cruz, adding that Markham has a lot of other ideas for the event that he thinks can be incorporated.
Some of the vendors might not have expected it to be so successful right away. Michael Smith brought spring rolls and egg rolls, and the latter was sold out quickly. Markham pointed to a vendor who sold out her entire stock of pistachio bread within an hour. “I’m sure she’s going to make more pistachio bread next week,” she said.
Koko Momi brought her unique handmade ceramic art, but she also had salads and vegan food to sell, and it was all gone almost instantly. “I’m surprised that everybody was so health conscious,” she said.
Pelin Morawski sold handmade chocolate produced with cacao she grows herself. She also had coconut soap and an array of beauty products, “all made with natural ingredients,” she said.
Across the grassy area, the Kalaupapa Backyard entertained the crowd with their tunes.
Courtney Tabil and her mother, Michelle Tabil, were selling handmade jewelry crafted with genuine gems, Tahitian pearls and local seashell. The young Tabil was the entrepreneur, and she did all the jewelry by herself. “The shells are all handpicked by me,” she said.
Sylvia Naylor was selling T-shirts and other clothing printed with her brand, Kapukahehu Beach, also known as Dixie Maru Beach on Molokai’s Westside. Her granddaughter, Hannah Naylor, said they organized a beach cleanup at Kapukahehu back in March. They are doing another one in August, and would love for more volunteers to help.
For those looking for power foods, Pualei Farm, from Ho‘olehua homesteader Donna Gamiao, offered a variety of microgreens grown without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Gamiao brought her daughter, Puakea Gamiao, in hopes to teach her some business lessons.
“If you’re going to be a commercial farmer, you have to know what is your market,” Puakea’s mother said. The young potential farmer, however, laughed and said she didn’t know yet what she wants to do when she grows up.
The market wasn’t just about food, produce, crafts, gifts, music and clothing. Karly Rose developed a learning kit – a series of interactive books – for young children, all in Hawaiian language.
“We’re called ‘Little Learning Keiki,’” Rose said. “We made little Hawai‘i activities for the keiki, ages primarily 18 months to pre-K, and the idea is to encourage activities in the home with the parents and their keiki.”
Markham said the majority, if not all, market attendees last Saturday were local residents. The market will continue on the grounds of the Molokai Community Health Center every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. But the public should expect an everchanging market.
“It’s going to be different every week because different vendors come every week,” Markham said. “Some people grow things like avocados, which are only in season in the winter, and mangoes which are only in season in the summer, so there will be a changing variety of foods and vegetables every week.”
A separate Saturday Market will continue to be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Ho’olehua.