Maku'u fee increase 5/7/17

[kalakoa]

Mukua is the worst place to buy produce.

It's good for other stuff, though. (I wasn't there for the produce.)

Last visit, a vendor told me "I'm already not making any money, if they raise the fees I'll just stay home."

[terracore]

I'll take the $3 pineapples at Walmart grown in Hawaii over the more expensive ones at the Maku'u "farmers" market grown in Costa Rica. Also no-thanks on the Maku'u garlic grown in China.

The best deal on fresh local produce is the couple selling in Ainaloa on Saturday mornings.

[Guest]

I stopped going to this Tourist market when they started charging Kama'aina a dollar to park. Once they get tourists and residents alike used to paying for something that was once free the rate only goes in one direction from there, up, up, up.
Are many of the Maku'u vendors still buying bulk produce from places like Costco and then doubling the price to sell to our east side tourists?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

charging Kama'aina a dollar to park

So you support "The Protectors" but you won't contribute a buck to help build a Native Hawaiian center at Maku'u?

On the fifth day - the scientists who studied the rivers - were forbidden to speak - or to study the rivers. -Jane Hirshfield's poem on creation

[randomq]

Markets should never charge anyone even a dollar, because all the management and security and cleaning and infrastructure and insurance is totally free! /s

[leilaniguy]

So don't go there.

[terracore]

"Are many of the Maku'u vendors still buying bulk produce from places like Costco and then doubling the price to sell to our east side tourists?"

Here's my post from 2014 'rebranded' for 2017: ( original post: http://www.punaweb.org/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=2.53333333333333&TOPIC_ID=18466& ) :

I can see the late night infomercial now on a mainland travel channel...

The Maku'u Market (registered trademark ® ) is an upscale shopping resort experience complete with potholed cinder driveways exquisitely lined with randomly placed chunks of mystery metal things and hand-crafted signs reminding you that 1) They have hats for sale and 2) No pets are allowed.

Really, no animals except service animals are allowed. Didn't you see the three, no four signs?

The lush, rustic, and rocky botanical drive into Maku'u is periodically dotted with stone-faced attendants wearing neon shirts who serve no real purpose, but do give the impression that your safety could potentially be a priority.

After parking your expensive imported car, walk past the merchants selling dirty old tools for higher than new Amazon prices while listening to them complain about helicopter noise and instantly you will know why getting in for two dolla is a bargain.

While at the Maku'u Market ®, be sure to stop by the fine artisan food court. Try to ignore that only one of the 'restaurants' has a hand washing station. And it doesn't work. Stand in line for 20 minutes, get your food, then look to the left, and then the right, and give up in frustration knowing that there is no place to sit. Enjoy Puna in the raw as you stand in the rain, wolfing down your food as quickly as possible. Don't worry, your Armani suit will shed Pele's acid rain. You have to come to Maku'u pretty early to get a seat because the live concert headliners seldom play or sing out of tune, and the music is never too loud to have a conversation!

The Maku'u Market Spa ® is just the place to go when you need to relax. That crusty old neighbor of your illegal AirBnB rental who has been creeping on your teenage daughter offers unlicensed massages for only fifty cents per minute. Relax on the canvas he found on the side of the road and let his magic oily hands send all your worries back to the mainland. He doesn't have a massage oil bottle anywhere: That's Maku'u Magic ®!

After stocking up on rusty socket wrenches, garlic imported from China, food that was deep fried 24 hours ago, body rubs from some dude with crap under his fingernails, and more live entertainment than you will ever find at a free farmer's market, return to the valet parking station where a handsome smiling attendant will look at you dumbfounded when asked to fetch your shiny Bugatti.

"Maku'u Market. Not just a farmer's market: The Two-Dolla-Farmer's-Market".®

ETA: 'grammar', attempt to upgrade 'humour' to 2017.

ETA: updated 'humor' to 'humour' (for Tomk)

[1737palmer]

My thought is, it's something else to do,I just go there to look & walk, listen to the performers singing & playing & it's always good, will never buy produce there or any open market, due to the fact ,that we rally have a rat lung desease problem!!!
What I did notice last week that the vendors ,where complaining ,the very sharp rise in space rent for then , so not only they charge $2. for parking & raised the vendors space rent & plus no places to sit & enjoy eating your food , & some anti Aloha attitude towards certain folks , well that's Hawaii at it's best with the Aloha spirit , with greed alway wining LOL.

[Kiana]

Someone told me Uncle Roberts' is charging $3 to park now, and $5 for in the paved lot. Sounds like maybe Makuu followed their lead.

We only go there when we have visitors, or once or twice a year when we are in the mood for a local "event". The worst thing about Makuu is the dangerous and selfish highway backup that they cause. If anyone involved with Makuu is reading this, please hire more parking attendant fee takers and give us a traffic break!

[randomq]

You can get just about everything now at the Hawaiian Acres Farmers Market, Saturdays 10-3 at the community center. No fees for anyone, or as an old boss used to say "It's totally FREE!"

We even have a couple former Maku'u vendors!