First Friday Lights Up Kaunakakai

Monthly event brings live music, food vendors, and cultural activities to the heart of the town

Apr. 11, 2026 at 6:35am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic Hawaiian banana repeated in a tight grid pattern, turning the everyday fruit into a bold, modern pop art statement.The vibrant monthly First Friday celebration in Kaunakakai showcases the diversity of Molokai's local food, arts, and entrepreneurial culture.Kaunakakai Today

A small barter-and-trade event in Kaunakakai, Hawaii has recently evolved into a much larger affair, bringing a bustling vibe with live music, food vendors, and several cultural activities to the heart of the town once a month. The event, called 'First Friday', is sponsored by the nonprofit organization 'Āina Momona and supported by various local groups.

Why it matters

This event highlights the growing community spirit and cultural preservation efforts in Kaunakakai, as residents come together to share locally grown produce, homemade foods, arts and crafts, and celebrate Hawaiian traditions. It also provides a platform for micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses to showcase their products and connect with the local community.

The details

The First Friday event features a barter-and-trade table where residents can exchange their homegrown crops and catches, as well as live music, food vendors, art classes, cultural workshops, and clothing exchanges. Each month has a different Hawaiian cultural food theme, with April's theme being banana or 'maiʻa'. Workshops and activities related to the monthly theme are included, such as a banana stalk propagation class, banana printing, and banana rose-making. The event also hosts food contests, like a banana bread competition, and provides a space for local micro-entrepreneurs to sell their products, including baked goods, flavored butters, jerky, and traditional Hawaiian delicacies like kulolo and kalo paʻa.

  • The First Friday event is held on the first Friday of every month.
  • The second First Friday event was held on April 3, 2026.

The players

Mercy Ritte

The event organizer who has expanded the original barter-and-trade event into the larger First Friday celebration.

Kyle Franks

A representative from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources who taught a banana stalk propagation workshop at the event.

Ling Santiago

The winner of the banana bread contest at the First Friday event.

Cammie Purdy

A Hoʻolehua homesteader who was browsing the free used clothing exchange at the event with her granddaughter.

Gavin Apiki

The owner of Apiki Bakery, a micro-entrepreneur selling various flavors of brioche bread at the First Friday event.

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What they’re saying

“We're integrating a theme each month. So, this month's theme is banana, or maiʻa.”

— Mercy Ritte, Event Organizer

“These are tissue-cultured bananas, so they're free of banana bunchy top and pest and disease.”

— Kyle Franks, University of Hawaii Representative

“There's no secret to it, just love.”

— Ling Santiago, Banana Bread Contest Winner

“People drop off their stuff, and you can grab whatever you want.”

— Cammie Purdy, Hoʻolehua Homesteader

“We grow it up at the farm in Hoʻolehua. We have a bunch of land that we use, and we plant (kalo) almost every month, about 200.”

— Kahakuhaakoi Hamakua Laemoa, Kalo and Kulolo Producer

What’s next

Next month, the First Friday event on May 1 will focus on flowers and flower propagation, and will include a lei-making contest.

The takeaway

The evolution of the First Friday event in Kaunakakai showcases the growing community spirit and cultural preservation efforts on Molokai, as residents come together to share local produce, homemade foods, arts and crafts, and celebrate Hawaiian traditions. It also provides a platform for micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses to connect with the local community.