Record crowds expected at Made in Hawaii Festival

The 25th annual Made in Hawaii Festival is expected to draw more than 60,000 locally minded shoppers to the Neal S. Blaisdell Center over the weekend.

The annual event is projected to generate more than $1 million in sales for the 420 local vendors — 40% from the neighbor islands — selling everything from Hawaiian print clothing to handmade jewelry, crafts and foods.

With roughly 53 new vendors, the festival is expected to be one of the biggest revenue generators for the state’s local mom-and-pop shops, many of which do not have bricks-and-mortar stores. Organizers project another $10 million to $12 million in residual sales for vendors following the event.

“Our turnout this morning has been exceptional. We’re on track for a record- breaking crowd,” said Amy Hammond, executive director of the Made in Hawaii Festival. “It’s really a great economic generator for the state of Hawaii. I see a lot of mom -and-pops where this isn’t their primary business, but they have a very successful second business. A lot of people have to have second jobs here in Hawaii.”

While “Phantom of the Opera” is also running at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, event organizers have opened an additional 800 stalls for shoppers at the Civic Center. Shoppers not wanting to fight the crowds are encouraged to come during slower times around dinner and at the end of the evening, she said.

Maile Kaopua waited for nearly three hours in line to get a peek at clothing made in Hilo by Simply Sisters and still was not at the front of the line by 1 p.m.

“This is the longest that I’ve waited. There must have been 100 people ahead of us when we had come,” said the Waimanalo resident, who stood in line starting at 10:30 a.m. “Hopefully, we can get through by 5 p.m.”

Vendors are anticipating bigger crowds, and some are offering significantly more inventory.

Rella Dwiggins, owner of glass etching company Midnight Glassworks, brought in more than 1,800 items compared with 1,200 pieces last year. She’s expecting sales to increase by about 15%.

“Every year we try and make more, and every year we end up selling more,” said Dwiggins, who has been at the show since 2000. She said last year’s sales averaged about $10,000 a day. Three hours into the event Friday, sales were already at about $5,000, she said.

Sparky Doo, owner of Palaka Hawaii, is hoping to reach a new, younger market at the trade show and match last year’s “phenomenal” $20,000 in sales.

“I sell to retailers, but now that the retail stores are shrinking, there’s not many customers I can sell to,” Doo said. “We’re getting the new generation of customers. A lot of the grandpa and dads know about it, but now the young kids are getting into palaka, so it’s a whole new market for us.”

For shoppers like Kaopua, it’s all about supporting local business.

“As local people we support what is local. Everyone has actually lovingly made their business for the people of Hawaii,” she said. “The price really doesn’t matter if you know you’re getting quality stuff. The quality that they’re showing is really the aloha that they’re willing to share with everyone here. It’s so worth it.”