Pahoa Farmers Market moves to Nanawale

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Have you missed your favorite vendors from the Pahoa Farmers Market in downtown Pahoa? As of the first Sunday in March, you now can find them from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Nanawale longhouse.

Have you missed your favorite vendors from the Pahoa Farmers Market in downtown Pahoa? As of the first Sunday in March, you now can find them from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Nanawale longhouse.

Since mid-January, when a fire unfortunately destroyed Luquin’s Restaurant and the Akebono Theatre, the Pahoa Farmers Market that set up in their parking lot every Sunday morning for years was unable to return to that popular location.

Vendors and their customers were in limbo, wondering if, when and where the popular market would open up again.

Graciously, the Nanawale Community Association offered its longhouse and welcomed the Pahoa Farmers Market vendors to set up and bring their goods to the people. The Nanawale market place has the same easy-going, friendly atmosphere, with many booths of fresh vegetables, fruits, orchids, tropical plants, prepared food, collectibles, Ou’s Thai food wagon and even the “clothing goddess” with racks of “new-to-you” apparel.

The Nanawale Community Association also is donating a half of all market vendors’ fees to a nonprofit organization, choosing a different one each month. In March, these funds will be donated to the Luquin Ohana Fund.

The other half of vendors fees goes toward youth programs sponsored by the Nanawale Community Association.

The longhouse has a lot of benefits for this farmers market: cement floors that make it easy to get around, a solid roof overhead, clean convenient bathrooms and music.