Halloween in Lahaina, Maui - 'Mardi Gras of the Pacific'

For those of you who have never experienced Halloween in Lahaina, it's quite an event - with thousands of people descending upon Front Street in the afternoon to watch the Keiki Parade and then hanging out to participate in the celebration and see all the creative and interesting costumes.

The evening's festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. with the West Maui Soroptimist and Lahaina Rotary Clubs' Annual Children's Costume Parade. Hundreds of costumed children will make their way down Front Street to Kamehameha Iki Park, where they will receive a parade ribbon and a free bag of goodies to start off their night of trick-or-treating.

With Front Street being long and oceanfront, it's the perfect location for a big party. The numerous second story bars and restaurants provide the perfect viewing platform to see the many wild costumes below. The people of Maui and all of the neighboring islands look forward to Halloween in Lahaina, and folks from the mainland return year after year for the celebration. It's reminiscent of New Orleans and lots of fun.

This year the event is less organized than in prior years but we still expect crowds of partying people. In past years, the Lahaina Town Action Committee has obtained permits to organize the event, including hosting a costume contest, selling souvenir t-shirts, bringing in entertainment and working with the county to close the roads for the entire evening. This year, The Maui County Cultural Resource Commission decided that the event was inconsistent with Hawaii's cultural history and traditions, and therefore the town will not officially be hosting the event and costume contest and organizing entertainment, but the police will still be present to maintain order and local businesses will surely be offering their own souvenirs and entertainment.