Kauaʻi Farmers Markets: The Sunshine Market Schedule, Day by Day

Saturday morning in Puhi. White tents line the grass, a farmer cracks a cold coconut with one swing of a machete, and the tables are stacked with apple bananas, sunrise papaya, and greens picked the day before. Somebody’s grill is already going. That’s a Kauaʻi farmers market, and if you know where to look, you can find one almost every day of the week.

Island residents call them Sunshine Markets. The name comes from the county’s original farmers only markets, but today it covers just about any market where island growers sell direct.

What Changed After Hurricane Lowell

If you’ve looked up Kauaʻi farmers markets online, you’ve probably found schedules that don’t match each other. Some are years old. Hurricane Lowell shuffled things again this fall, and a few markets are still getting back on their feet. The schedule bel

ow comes from the County of Kauaʻi’s weekly recovery updates and the markets’ own sites, current as of October 2026. Hours can shift, so if you’re driving across the island for one, it’s worth a quick call to the Office of Economic Development at 808.241.4946 first.

Monday
Start the week on the East Side, right in Līhuʻe.
Kukui Grove Pau Hana Market · 3 to 5:30PM · Kukui Grove Center, Līhuʻe
Tuesday
Coconut Marketplace · 9AM to 1PM · Kapaʻa
Wednesday
Wednesday is the big one. The Kapaʻa market is the last of the county’s official Sunshine Markets, and it’s farmers only, so the produce is about as fresh as it gets. It also moves fast. Get there right at 3.
Kapaʻa Sunshine Market · 3 to 4:30PM · Kapaʻa Beach Park
Kauaʻi Culinary Market · 3:30 to 6PM · The Shops at Kukuiʻula, Poʻipū

Thursday
Head west for Hale Puna in Waimea. When the Hanapēpē Sunshine Market closed in 2023, its farmers moved here, so West Side regulars will see familiar faces.
Coconut Marketplace · 9AM to 1PM · Kapaʻa
Hale Puna Farmers Market · 3 to 5PM · Waimea

Friday
No markets on Fridays right now. Stock up Thursday.

Saturday
Saturday is the best market day on the island, with options on three coasts. Grove Farm in Puhi is the largest and runs until vendors sell out. On the North Shore, Hanalei opens at 9AM for kūpuna (seniors) before the main crowd arrives.
Grove Farm Market · 9:30AM until sold out · Puhi Park, Līhuʻe
Anaina Hou Farmers Market · 9AM to 1PM · Kīlauea
Hanalei Farmers Market · 9:30AM to noon · Hale Hālawai, Hanalei

Sunday
Anaina Hou Farmers Market · 10AM to 2PM · Kīlauea

The Sunshine Market Story

For years, the County of Kauaʻi ran eight Sunshine Markets in towns around the island. They were simple: Kauaʻi farmers, island grown produce, short hours, and a whistle or a rope line at some of them to make sure everyone got a fair start. Over time, private markets grew, farmers aged out, and the county markets closed one by one. Kapaʻa on Wednesday is the last one standing. If a guidebook still sends you to Kōloa, Kalāheo, Kekaha, or Vidinha Stadium, it’s out of date.

How to Shop Like an Island Resident

A few things that make the trip easier:

1. Bring small bills. Many vendors are cash only.
2. Bring your own bag. Kauaʻi banned plastic checkout bags years ago.
3. Go early. The best produce goes in the first half hour.
4. Try something new. Rambutan, starfruit, apple bananas, and Sugarloaf pineapple are worth the stop on their own.
5. Ask questions. The person behind the table usually grew what’s on it, and most are happy to tell you how to eat it.

Mālama ʻĀina

Mālama ʻāina means to care for the land. Every dollar you spend at these markets goes straight to the families farming it, and that’s a big part of how Kauaʻi keeps feeding itself. For anyone thinking about making the island home, the weekly market run is one of the first rituals that makes it feel like yours.

Thinking About Life on Kauaʻi?

Where you live shapes which market becomes your regular. Kapaʻa and Līhuʻe folks have the most options. North Shore families plan around Saturday in Kīlauea and Hanalei. West Side residents have Hale Puna on Thursdays, and the South Shore has Kukuiʻula midweek. If you’re weighing which side of the island fits your life, we’re always happy to talk story.

For more information about Kauaʻi real estate, contact Greg Bloss
The Bloss Swapp Collective, serving Kauaʻi with The Agency Oahu
808.652.8101
[email protected]
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