Aloha Stadium Swap Meet celebrates 45th anniversary

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace has been Hawaii’s iconic one stop shop for souvenirs and locally made goods for the last 45-years.

Over the past 45 years, the Swap Meet has grown to feature over 400 vendors. To celebrate these local small businesses, Aloha Stadium will host an 80s themed extravaganza on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guests will get the chance to participate in a golden ticket scavenger hunt, skate rink, Jazzercise and more. The community can also enjoy a ‘retro’ beer and cocktail garden.

“Everyone knows what the Swap Meet is,” stated Samantha Spain, Aloha Stadium’s Communications Specialist & Community Relations. “We have really seen a transition from our small little flea market to really one of Hawaii’s largest premier outdoor markets.”

More than just an outdoor market, it’s where hundreds of small mom & pop shops got their start.

“I usually come here as my main source of income,” said Andrew Gouveia, owner of Gouveia’s Ono Banana Bread. “People like me who are just normal, regular people to come out and make a living, make a name for themselves. So I’m really grateful to the Swap Meet.”

Andrew’s business was passed down from his father who shared the family’s banana bread at the Swap Meet for the past 13-years.

Others like Roscoe Kalilikane, owner of HI Nesian Apparel have sold their goods at the Swap Meet for over 35-years.

“It’s the best place for anybody to start up a business,” said Kalilikane. “I never missed a day. In my record, never stop selling in rain, storm anything.”

With both old and new businesses, the Swap Meet plans to keep growing even through construction planned for the next several years at the stadium.

Vendors will be relocated to a different parking lot, according to Spain.

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“We’re branching out to do some new retail units where we’re working on doing some container sales,” said Spain, “It’s a different way to have our vendors be supported.”