A town that is on the National Register of Historic Places, the entire town, and one with enough culture to fill several days of exploration, plus an area that could easily be featured in a film with a New England town setting, this is the multi-faceted town of Lahaina. Whales and art are draws, eclectic and scenic are characteristics, and its former name, Lele, which means relentless sun, tells the tale of its personality today.
Visitors to the area will find that the holidays in Lahaina are an experience to mix among locals. The churches on Lahaina celebrate with concerts of sacred Christmas music from multiple cultures, caroling, Christmas stories, and candle lighting ceremonies and other holiday festivities in the name of fellowship.
Planning to spend your holiday on Maui? Stay in one of our Lahaina vacation rentals.
If you visit early enough in December, you can do some whale watching by day and attend free events, including the Holiday Lighting of the Banyan Tree. Lahaina’s beloved Banyan Tree is lit with an unbelievable amount of Christmas lights. Even if you aren’t there that particular weekend, you can see the lights throughout the holidays. Santa Claus always pays a visit and who wouldn’t want to in such an idyllic setting. The World Culture Exchange Hula performances are popular entertainment. Rounding out the opportunity for a traditional Christmas is the snow zone, with real snow and a snowman in island attire. Lahaina is all about arts and the holidays offer a reason to host an arts and crafts fair, a great place to pick up handcrafted items (and avoid bringing them in a checked bag!) to make it a real island holiday. Kids can also participate in art activities and cookie decorating workshops.
For more places to stay on your Lahaina vacation, take a look at our large selection of Lahaina condos and Lahaina luxury rentals.
Lahaina is a small town in Maui and the local shop and restaurants will close early on Christmas eve, so make sure to buy food and gifts in advance and make reservations for dinner at your hotel or eateries that are open. New Year’s Eve is similar as far as early closings except for those spots that host scheduled countdown and/or dinner events. Lahaina has been featured as one of the top 10 destinations in the U.S. to visit for the holidays (Orbitz 2008), so for a holiday escape that offers culture, small-town heritage, tropical landscape and a unique festive experience, pick Maui’s Lahaina.