04/13/2026
Year two of serving drinks at the Merrie Monarch Hawaiian Arts & Crafts Fair in the books. We’re truly grateful for everyone who stopped by, especially those who did so multiple times.
Going into this past week was hard. It felt a little wrong to be prepping for our biggest week of the year knowing that so manywere put out of homes by the storms and flooding — with more rain on the way. But what we knew was that we weren’t in a position to truly help, at least not until we got through this week.
Thankfully, the weather held just enough in Hilo. We’re grateful to the staff who showed up every day and stayed the course until the very end: Malia, Kiah, and Maggie. We’re especially grateful to our brave babysitter, my sister Lisa, who took the kids to Oʻahu so we could work without distraction or added responsibility.
This year, I noticed a bit of a shift. There was more of, “Oh, that’s you!” when I walked to the bathroom and people — especially other vendors — saw my Kalo & Cream shirt. I gotta say… I felt super special when the aunties from Niʻihau recognized me as they were guzzling down the Lemon Peel Soda.
Hilo is special. I hope to never forget that, and I hope Hilo stays Hilo. The week after Easter is one of those things that is magical in this sleepy little town, and I can’t put into words how fortunate we are to participate in our own way in this magical week.
Until next year…
