Independent vendors
barred from hula fest

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By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> Some 40 independent vendors will no longer be allowed to sell their wares outside Merrie Monarch hula events this year, Hawaii County announced.

The reason? Merrie Monarch isn't always so merry.

One vendor was throwing blows at another last year, claiming the other had stolen his space, said county Parks and Recreation head Patricia Engelhard.

Both were using the space illegally, like all vendors outside the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, where hula competitions take place, Engelhard said.

Another incident was a near-accident in which a child was almost hit by a car, she said.

Those two incidents capped years of complaints, she said.

Police worried about accidents. The Fire Department worried about gas stoves used to cook food under tarpaulins and inside tents. The state Health Department worried about improperly cooked food.

Besides the 40 vendors selling without permission, others sold with permission of Merrie Monarch officials, Engelhard said.

The authorized vendors used to sell inside Aunty Sally's Luau Hale, formerly the Seven Seas Luau House, next to the tennis stadium. Their numbers have grown to about 90, and they will now sell at the nearby civic auditorium.

Despite the bad impression left by the Merrie Monarch troublemaker throwing blows, many of the unauthorized vendors are simply lei sellers, Engelhard said.

Since the ban on unauthorized selling comes so close to the festival -- Merrie Monarch runs March 31-April 6 -- the county will let them sell crafts, but no food, in nearby Francis Wong Stadium this year only, Engelhard said.

And they'll have to buy $100 permits, she said. For information, call 959-7389.