Farmers Markets on the West Side, Day by Day

ByOwen Hale

For a long time the running joke out here was that if you wanted a real farmers market, you had to drive over the hill. Not anymore. Between Ewa Beach, Kapolei, and the Waianae coast, there’s now a market running almost every day of the week — some of them small and quick, some of them full evening events with food trucks and live crowds.

We put the whole weekly circuit in one place so you can stop guessing. And if you don’t feel like memorizing any of it, the widget on our homepage shows the next market coming up automatically — check it Thursday afternoon and it’ll tell you Wai Kai is about to open.

Here’s the week, day by day. Monday is the one quiet day on our side, so we start with Tuesday.

Tuesday — Makeke Iki at WCCHC, Waianae

The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center hosts its Makeke Farmers’ & Greens Market — “Makeke Iki” — every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon on the Great Lawn of the main campus at 86-260 Farrington Hwy. It’s a smaller, produce-focused market, and it’s one of the most practical ones on the coast: the health center’s market offers EBT/SNAP produce doubling, so your food dollars stretch further on fruits and vegetables. If you’re already at the center for an appointment, it’s an easy add-on to the morning.

Wednesday — Makana Market and Mahiku, take your pick

Wednesday gives the Ewa side two evening options.

Makana Market at Ka Makana Alii sets up in Center Court at the Kapolei mall. It’s the newest market on this list — it launched in fall 2025 — so it’s still finding its rhythm. Check the market’s or the mall’s pages before you head over.

Mahiku Farmers Market runs Wednesday afternoons into the evening at the Kapilina Beach Homes lagoon area out on Iroquois Point in Ewa Beach. The posted end times vary depending on where you look, so check before you go.

Thursday — Ono Grindz & Makeke at Wai Kai

This is the big one on the Ewa Beach calendar: Ono Grindz & Makeke at Wai Kai (91-1621 Keoneula Blvd), every Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Fifty-plus vendors, food trucks, free admission, and the lagoon as a backdrop. It’s less of a grocery run and more of a standing weekly hangout — come hungry, plan to stay a while, and don’t be surprised when you run into half your neighborhood.

Friday — Ewa Beach People’s Open Market

The City’s People’s Open Market at Ewa Beach Community Park (91-955 North Rd) runs Friday mornings from 9 to 10 a.m. Yes, one hour — the People’s Open Markets have worked this way since the City founded the program in 1973, and the regulars treat that hour seriously. Come at 9, not 9:40, if you want the good produce. The draw: fresh island produce at old-school prices.

Saturday — Makeke Waianae at Waianae Mall

Saturday morning belongs to the coast. Makeke Waianae runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Waianae Mall on Farrington Hwy, put on by the same Makeke organization behind the Tuesday market at WCCHC. This is the anchor market for the Waianae side — local produce, prepared food, and craft vendors, with the mall parking lot making it an easy in-and-out or a slow browse, your choice.

Sunday — early bird or brunch crowd

Sunday offers two very different speeds.

Kapolei Community Park People’s Open Market (91-1049 Kamaaha Loop) runs 7 to 8:30 a.m. Same City program as the Friday Ewa Beach market, same rule: early birds win. If you’re up anyway, it’s a great excuse to beat the heat.

Makana Market’s Sunday session returns to Center Court at Ka Makana Alii midday — a more leisurely option if 7 a.m. is not your Sunday. As with the Wednesday session, it’s a young market, so check before you go.

One rule to remember: City holidays

The two People’s Open Markets — Friday in Ewa Beach and Sunday in Kapolei — are run by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and the City’s official schedule is clear: markets are closed on all City holidays. So if a three-day weekend is coming up, assume the POM skips that week and hit one of the independent markets instead. The other markets on this list set their own calendars, which is exactly why our homepage widget exists.

Before you go

A few things we’ve learned the hard way:

  • Bring small bills. Many vendors take cards now, but cash still moves the line faster, especially at the one-hour POM markets.
  • Bring your own bags. Standard advice, doubly true when you’re carrying papayas across a hot parking lot.
  • Schedules shift. West-side markets change days, times, and venues more often than the big directories keep up with. We do our best to keep our events page current, and the homepage widget always shows the next confirmed market — but for the newer markets, a quick check of the organizer’s page before you drive is never wasted.

Every market above also links to its organizer from our events page, and the vendors you’ll meet — farms, food trucks, crafters — are exactly the kind of businesses we’re building out in the directory at /directory/. If we’re missing a market you swear by, or one of these changes on us, tell us. This guide only stays useful if the west side keeps it honest.

Sources

  • City & County of Honolulu, Department of Parks and Recreation — People’s Open Market Program (schedule and holiday closures): https://www.honolulu.gov/dpr/peoples-open-markets/ (accessed 2026-08-21)
  • Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center — Makeke Farmers’ and Greens Market: https://wcchc.com/Services/Page/Makeke-Farmers-and-Greens-Market
  • Waianae Mall — Makeke Waianae Saturday market: https://www.waianaemall.com/
  • Wai Kai — Thursday farmers market: https://www.waikai.com/events/thursday-farmers-market and organizer site https://www.onogrindzandmakeke.com/
  • Ka Makana Alii — Makana Market event page: https://www.kamakanaalii.com/event/30848-makana-mkt
  • Mahiku Farmers Market — organizer schedule: https://mahikufarmersmarket.com/schedule/ (site showed an expired SSL certificate on 2026-08-21 — recheck before publish)