ʻAha Niu Festival 2026
Mahalo nui loa to everyone who came out to our ‘Aha Niu: Maui Nui Coconut Celebration Festival, a community gathering dedicated to celebrating, revitalizing, and protecting niu (coconut) across Maui Nui. Over 750 people attended, and 122 sprouted coconut trees were adopted by the community!
Key event details
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
Time: 9am – 3pm
Location: Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Address: 150 Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului
Free parking is available across the street at the War Memorial Stadium
Festival highlights
- Niu sprout giveaways
- Keiki friendly activities
- Hands-on niu workshops led by cultural practitioners
- Climbing and harvesting demonstrations
- Presentations and talk story with coconut industry experts
- Information on Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) identification and mitigation
- Coconut-centered craft, food, and educational vendors
Post-event: Prevent the spread of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) was recently confirmed in Wailuku. If you received a new coconut tree at our ʻAha Niu Festival, it’s your kuleana to ensure your tree is CRB free!
Your tree was grown responsibly and inspected, but we are relying on you to ensure you are not introducing CRB to your neighborhood by taking a niu tree home from this event. As soon as you get home, please:
- Fill a large container with water, enough to completely submerge the entire pot up to the trunk of the tree.
- Submerge the pot and tree in the water for 48 hours.
- Make sure the water completely covers any coconut husk still present from the sprout. Use a stone or cinderblock so that the tree stays submerged.
- Collect, bag, and freeze any larvae that float up out of the soil to the top of the water. They can be large or small.
If you find larvae that look suspicious, please send photos to [email protected] and include your name, phone number, and address in the email.
A look inside ʻAha Niu 2026
Mahalo nui loa to our ʻAha Niu 2026 event partners and sponsors:
