Although the days of rowdy sailors roaming the streets are long gone, Lahaina hasn’t lost any of its zest for life. As the only town on Maui with a competent menu of nightlife options, Lahaina is where you can find the action.
Not counting the beaches, Lahaina is the most visited spot on Maui, hosting some two million visitors a year. A little more than 9,000 people reside within the town’s 5.8 square miles.
Lahaina is nestled between the calm waters of the Auau Channel facing the island of Lanai and the verdant peaks and valleys of the West Maui Mountain Range. The first Polynesian settlers arrived at Lahaina more than a thousand years ago, no doubt attracted by the area’s abundant freshwater streams, lush valleys, pleasing climate and bountiful sea. In 1710, Kamehameha I made Lahaina his seat of government.
During much of the 19th century, Lahaina served as a bustling whaling port. During the peak years of the mid-1800s, more than 400 ships a year dropped anchor in Lahaina for supplies and recreation. The sailors’ bawdy behavior often put them at odds with the missionaries who lived and worked in Lahaina. This dramatic clash of wills came to a head in 1927, when the island’s governor arrested the captain of the John Palmer for allowing women to board his ship. The crew retaliated with a round of cannonballs shot at the home of William Richards, Lahaina’s first Protestant missionary.
After the whaling industry died out, Lahaina turned to growing sugar as its primary industry. In the 1970s, the town enjoyed another resurgence, this time as a lively tourist destination.
Front Street is the town’s main thoroughfare, and it’s where most of the action takes place. The many restaurants, pubs, shops and art galleries make Front Street a great place to stroll and people watch. Lahaina gets absolutely crazy on October 31, when the Mardi Gras-style "Halloween in Lahaina" welcomes thousands of costumed revelers to her streets.
A relatively new addition to Lahaina is the talk of Maui: Held at the 700-seat Maui Theatre, Ulalena is an award-winning musical extravaganza with more than 20 professional performers. TravelAge West praised the show as "perhaps the most stirring theatrical experience in all the Islands." Photo Credits:Photo1: Courtesy of Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau ©2003-2004 Media-HI, Inc. All rights reserved. |
