Annual Paniolo BBQ and Slack Key Celebration returns to Waimea

Hawaii News Now will live stream the Paniolo BBQ and Slack Key Celebration starting at 4 p.m. Friday.

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WAIMEA (HawaiiNewsNow) – A two-day celebration of Hawaiʻi’s paniolo heritage kicked off Thursday in Waimea with a free family day and farmers market.

The gathering at the historic Pukalani Stables coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Paniolo Preservation Society, and is designed to share the history of local ranching families and paniolo culture.

Heritage museum and local agriculture

Inside the stables, the Paniolo Heritage Center guides visitors through the history of Hawaiʻi’s cowboys using historical artifacts, photographs, and original Hawaiian saddles.

The weekly Wednesday Pukalani Midweek Market features local vendors who depend on community support to sustain their operations.

Mila Barrett, owner of Maluhia Hydroponics, recently faced agricultural losses from Hurricane Lala and the March Kona low storms.

“This markets are incredible. I felt like I live in the Big Island with lots of big heart,” Barrett said. “I get goosebumps, because (we received) so much help.”

Jim Kelleher, owner of Blue Corner Coffee, has operated a booth at the Pukalani Stables market for eight years.

Kelleher and his wife manage a small farm with approximately 1,700 trees, producing coffee, orchids, vanilla beans, and māmaki tea.

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“Waimea is just a special place,” Kelleher said. “This market’s been really, really good for us. I really look forward to this every week.”

Paniolo BBQ and Slack Key Celebration

The event concludes Friday with the second annual Nā Mea Kanu ʻAi Paniolo BBQ & Slack Key Celebration from 4 to 10 p.m.

Award-winning music lineup

The musical lineup features some of Hawaiʻi’s most prominent slack key and steel guitar artists. Performers include Jerry Santos, Jeff Peterson, George Kuo, Kalaʻe & Kalena, Greg Sardinha, the Kimokeo ʻohana, and legendary slack key master Sonny Lim.

Lim won the 2026 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Hawaiian Slack Key Album of the Year. He grew up in Kohala on Parker Ranch, where he plans to retire next May.

“Parker Ranch was almost like all the families, was like one really big ohana,” Lim said, noting that the unique, community-based lifestyle inspired him to support the celebration.

Culinary offerings and heritage

Three local chefs will prepare the evening’s meals. Blaine K. Duque brings nearly 30 years of culinary experience on Hawaiʻi Island, Kathy Morris is a Culinary Institute of America graduate, and Chef Shaun Kahele blends Native Hawaiian heritage with classical French influences.

Organizers hope to continue building the event annually to preserve and carry forward paniolo traditions, music, and history.

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Learn more at malamakoaloha.com.