August 21, 2026

2026 Lights for Lāhainā returns Sept. 11-12 for two evenings of remembrance, connection and hope

LAHAINA, Maui – Lights for Lahaina will return Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, 2026, bringing the community together for two memorable evenings honoring Lahaina’s history, resilience and hope for the future. Public admission is free.

Presented by Aloha Amplified, the two-day gathering builds on the inaugural Lights for Lahaina event held in 2025.

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Our Lahaina Story will take place from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 11 at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, 712 Waineʻe Street in Lahaina. The gathering will feature live entertainment by the Kahaialiʻi Brothers, Kevin Brown, Eric Gilliom & Friends, the Wilson Kanakaʻole Trio, Marty Dread and Hammah House Band. Other highlights will include local food trucks and vendors, cultural practitioners and activities, local community nonprofits, schools and groups, creative activities, ʻohana bingo, and opportunities to contribute letters, artwork and reflections to the Lahaina Time Capsule, which will be opened in 10 years.

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The Light March will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12, beginning at Puʻunoa Beach and continuing through historic Lahaina Town to Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. The shared, respectful ka‘i will bring participants together to carry lights through Lahaina, with storytelling, quiet reflection and gentle mele honoring Lahaina’s people, places and moʻolelo. The evening will conclude with a kanikapila gathering at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church featuring music by Lahaina Style Band and ʻono local food.

“As a Lahaina wildfire survivor, I know firsthand that healing does not happen alone,” said kumu Wilmont Kamaunu Kahaialiʻi, cultural practitioner and board president of Aloha Amplified, Inc. “Many of our ʻohana are still healing and finding their own path forward. Lights for Lahaina gives us a place to gather, hoʻomanaʻo those we love, share our moʻolelo and draw strength from one another. As we kaʻi together, the lights remind us that although Lahaina has changed forever, aloha still remains.”

Event sponsors and community partners include the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, County of Maui Office of Economic Development, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Sacred Hearts School, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund, Pacific Media Group, Polynesian Adventure, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hua Momona Foundation, Roy and Betty Sakamoto, Pasha Hawaiʻi, Nā Kiaʻi O Maui, and The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation.

Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, as well as opportunities for food trucks and vendors, are available for the 2026 Lights for Lahaina event.

For event information and participation details, visit our home page on LightsforLahaina.org.

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August 6, 2026

2026 Lights for Lahaina returns Sept. 11-12 for two evenings of remembrance, connection and hope

Lahaina, Maui – Lights for Lahaina will return Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, 2026, bringing the community together for two memorable evenings honoring Lahaina’s history, resilience and hope for the future. Public admission is free.

Presented by Aloha Amplified, the two-day gathering builds on the inaugural Lights for Lahaina event held in 2025.

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Our Lahaina Story will take place from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 11 at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, 712 Waineʻe Street in Lahaina. The gathering will feature live entertainment by the Kahaialiʻi Brothers, Kevin Brown, Eric Gilliom & Friends, the Wilson Kanakaʻole Trio, Marty Dread and Hammah House Band. Other highlights will include local food trucks and vendors, cultural practitioners and activities, local community nonprofits, schools and groups, creative activities, ʻohana bingo, and opportunities to contribute letters, artwork and reflections to the Lahaina Time Capsule, which will be opened in 10 years.

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The Light March will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12, beginning at Puʻunoa Beach and continuing through historic Lahaina Town to Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. The shared, respectful ka‘i will bring participants together to carry lights through Lahaina, with storytelling, quiet reflection and gentle mele honoring Lahaina’s people, places and moʻolelo. The evening will conclude with a kanikapila gathering at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church featuring music by Lahaina Style Band and ʻono local food.

“As a Lahaina wildfire survivor, I know firsthand that healing does not happen alone,” said kumu Wilmont Kamaunu Kahaialiʻi, cultural practitioner and board president of Aloha Amplified, Inc. “Many of our ʻohana are still healing and finding their own path forward. Lights for Lahaina gives us a place to gather, hoʻomanaʻo those we love, share our moʻolelo and draw strength from one another. As we kaʻi together, the lights remind us that although Lahaina has changed forever, aloha still remains.”

Event sponsors include the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, County of Maui Office of Economic Development, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Sacred Hearts School, Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund, Pacific Media Group, Polynesian Adventure, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hua Momona Foundation, Roy and Betty Sakamoto, Pasha Hawaiʻi, Nā Kiaʻi O Maui, and The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation.

Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, as well as opportunities for food trucks and vendors, are available for the 2026 Lights for Lahaina event.

For event information and participation details, visit LightsforLahaina.org. 

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August 1, 2026

Lahaina faith communities to gather for Honor & Remembrance service Aug. 1

Gathering will offer prayer, reflection and an opportunity to contribute to the Lahaina Time Capsule

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LAHAINA, Hawaiʻi – The Lahaina Interfaith Council invites the community to an Honor & Remembrance service on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, at 9 a.m. at Lahaina United Methodist Church, 142 Baker St.

The service will bring together Lahaina’s faith communities for a morning of remembrance, prayer, reflection and unity as the third anniversary of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire approaches.

Participating congregations include Waiola United Church of Christ, Lahaina Jodo Mission, Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Lahaina United Methodist Church and Maria Lanakila Catholic Church.

According to the Lahaina Interfaith Council, “The Lahaina Interfaith Council was formed through Pacific Health Ministry. As one community representing many faiths, our congregations have grown closer throughout Lahaina’s recovery through our shared commitment to disaster spiritual care. We come together to remember, pray, support one another and honor the strength and resilience of Lahaina.”

As part of the Aug. 1 gathering, community members will also have an opportunity to contribute to the Lahaina Time Capsule, a collaboration between the Lahaina Interfaith Council and Aloha Amplified, Inc.

Described as “a vessel to carry your messages into the future,” the time capsule invites people of all ages to contribute messages, drawings, photographs, memories and hopes for Lahaina’s future. Participants may also write messages that can be shared with loved ones or their future selves. Short audio and video submissions may also be uploaded online.

The submissions will be preserved in an archival-grade time capsule scheduled to be opened on Aug. 8, 2033, the 10th anniversary of the wildfire. The project honors what Lahaina has endured while preserving the voices, memories and aspirations of the community for future generations.

Community members may also bring their submissions to the Interfaith Tent during Lights for Lahaina on Friday, Sept. 11, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church.

Lights for Lahaina is a two-day community gathering taking place Sept. 11 and 12. Friday’s gathering will feature live entertainment, cultural and keiki activities, community storytelling, resource booths, local food vendors and opportunities to contribute to the Lahaina Time Capsule. On Saturday, Sept. 12, the community will gather for a Light March from Puʻunoa Beach through historic Lahaina Town to Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. Participants will carry lights as part of a collective expression of remembrance, resilience and hope, with pule, quiet reflection and mele along the route. The evening will conclude with a community gathering and live music at the church.

For more information about the Aug. 1 service, contact the Lahaina Interfaith Council at lahainainterfaithcouncil@gmail.com or follow @lahainainterfaithcouncil.

For more information about the Lahaina Time Capsule or to upload your submission online, visit https://tinyurl.com/lahainastory.

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About the Lahaina Interfaith Council

The Lahaina Interfaith Council brings together faith communities serving Lahaina and West Maui. Through prayer, fellowship, disaster spiritual care and collaborative community service, the council supports healing, connection and resilience while honoring Lahaina’s diverse faith traditions.

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About Aloha Amplified, Inc.

Aloha Amplified, Inc. is a Hawaiʻi-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that strengthens Hawaiʻi’s communities by amplifying voices, empowering cultural values and advancing initiatives that foster connection, economic vitality and long-term resilience. Its programs use culture, storytelling, the arts and community engagement to preserve and perpetuate aloha for future generations.

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Aloha Amplified, Inc., a Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organization, is now accepting online submissions for the Lahaina Time Capsule, a community legacy project that will preserve messages, photos, and reflections to be opened on August 8, 2043 — twenty years after Lahaina’s path to recovery began following the 2023 wildfire.

The initiative was first introduced during the Lights for Lahaina & Light March event on September 6 at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, where attendees were invited to handwrite letters and share messages for Lahaina’s future. Those who could not attend can still take part by submitting their entries online at LightsforLahaina.org/timecapsule. 

Participants are invited to share a message, photo, drawing, poem, or brief audio or video recording. All submissions will remain confidential and will be digitized and preserved in a waterproof, archival-grade stainless-steel capsule. 

Submissions are open through December 31, 2025. For more information and to upload your message, visit www.LightsforLahaina.org/timecapsule. The capsule will be buried in January 2026 on the grounds of Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina.

“This project offers a meaningful way for both those in Lahaina, throughout Hawaiʻi, and around the world who carry Lahaina in their hearts to express what this place means to them,” said Linn Nishikawa, Board President of Aloha Amplified, Inc. “It’s an opportunity to speak to the future—to remind generations to come of the strength, aloha, and resilience that define this community.”

The Lahaina Time Capsule serves as a bridge across generations, ensuring that the voices and hopes of today will be heard by the community of tomorrow. Contributors may also choose to receive their messages back when the capsule is opened in 2043, joining friends, family, and future residents in remembering this moment in history.

The Lahaina Time Capsule is a project of Aloha Amplified, Inc., a Maui-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting stories and strengthening community resilience. Learn more at www.AlohaAmplified.org.

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