Hilo Farmer’s Market
Ever since moving to Hilo (about 9 years ago), the Hilo Farmer’s Market has always been a regular place to go on weekend mornings for cheap locally grown fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, and even ready-to-eat goodies. The farmer’s market is especially crowded on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but there are still some vendors there mostly everyday.
On the way to the farmer’s market, I always pass by this trumpet player…
There are also some interesting looking eateries neighboring the farmer’s market…
There is a place for Hawaiian food, Samoan food, and even an Awa bar! I heard good things about the Samoan restaurant, so I hope to pay a visit there soon.
Right around the corner is the main tent of the Farmer’s market. There are also two other tent structures across the street. Altogether, it’s a pretty huge market!
One of my favorite things to get from the farmer’s market are the Peruvian tamales. I have no idea if this is how they make them in Peru, but who cares?? They taste so good that I have to come back at least every couple weeks for them!
You can buy 1 for $2.00, or 5 for $8.00. She also sells great burritos and fresh lemonade for $1.00, but the tamales are the best! I ordered one chicken tamale (there is also vegetarian), and she took one out of a warm cooler. She then opened the tamale up and put a cilantro based salsa on it. The tamale’s corn dough is very light, slightly crumbly, and full of texture and flavor. The filling of chicken is great and the cilantro salsa is oily, which brings everything together perfectly. Yum!!!
Hilo Farmer’s Market is a must-visit place for locals and tourists alike. You just can’t beat the freshness and the price of everything here. Also, make sure to visit the other tents across the street, which have a lot of homemade crafts, artwork, and clothing.
Corner of Mamo Street and Kamehameha Ave.
Hilo Farmers Market - PO Box 34 - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
(808) 933-1000
www.hilofarmersmarket.com
October 29th, 2005 at 1:31 pm
Hi James,
The Hilo Farmers Market is definitely a destination. When I used to visit Hilo more regularly (about 4 years ago), I used to stop by on Sundays before meeting up with friends at Ken’s for breakfast. The girls in the office all wanted the anthuriums and right after that, I made my way over to Two Ladies Kitchen for the ichigo daifuku. Ahhh, memories.
October 30th, 2005 at 1:54 pm
hi james! i love the farmers market! there’s a lil’ old filipino lady, well several actually, but one in particular that sells the most ono bibingka in the WORLD! i’m not kidding. she’s on the ewa side of the market, but i don’t know her name. she also sells yummy pandesol bread, but it’s the same kine you can get in the market.
October 30th, 2005 at 7:47 pm
James - We used to have friends who lived in Hilo, and always made sure we stopped by the Farmer’s Market. what always made us laugh, were the handmade cloth “bags” placed over the parking meters to make sure people didn’t feed them!
October 30th, 2005 at 10:37 pm
hi, james…you’re so lucky you get to go to the farmer’s market! i loved going there…though it was only once in a blue moon. it was way too hard to wake up at an ungodly hour on a saturday during college! (anything before lunch time! hehehe) i loved seeing all the different produce that was hard to find at the regular markets. they had the hugest bunches of green leaf lettuce and the arugula and tomatoes were delish!! now i’m missing hilo even more!!
October 31st, 2005 at 2:00 pm
The Hilo market is really the best among all the islands. I had no idea there was an `awa bar right there– although I don’t think I’d want `awa first thing in the morning anyway.
November 7th, 2005 at 8:27 am
Reid, you sure did it right with the anthuriums… they cost just a few bucks but look like a whole lot more! Hope you get to visit Hilo again soon.
monika, I think I know which lady you’re talking about… they do have the best filipino deserts here! I’m not sure if she was there this day, though, I should’ve tried getting a photo.
Kirk, lol.. I remember those. I thought it was funny too! They don’t have those anymore though, I don’t recall.
lope, yeah, I know what you mean… these guys setup before the sun rises! I never get to make it here until about 11am.
alan, I agree, I never seen a better farmer’s market in the Islands yet. The awa bar is relatively new, and awa definitely wouldn’t agree with my tummy early in the morning either
Thanks for visiting everyone!
November 7th, 2005 at 8:41 pm
Uncle Rubio. Pretty interesting site. Even though I lived in Hilo my whole life I only ate like half the places you’ve posted. I didn’t know Osaka served korean food? Definitely i’ll check it out there when I go back. Keep up the good work! BTW nice pictures. Take care.
November 8th, 2005 at 8:15 am
Kirk,
I remember those bags that covered the parking meters. I think they did away with those bags because parking in downtown Hilo is free now. Imagine from penny parking meters to free. Plus, because of the price of gas these days, the city bus service around the island is free now . What a Mayor!!!!
November 8th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
James did you ever taste the empanadas from the Filipino food seller in your photo? It’s the orange looking things in the display rack. They have vegetables and egg in them … not bad tasting when you can get them fresh(go before 7:00am on Saturday.
March 15th, 2006 at 11:28 pm
I love the Hilo market (Mamo market)
But Actaully– the Maku’u market in Puna on Sundays is much better– it’s giant and a real scene.. it has a ton of food stalls and its..cheap! Its very Puna and full of exotic Hindu hippies, Orchid sellers, Biker knive vendors, Thai ladies, gay banana sellers! it has lots of food stalls including the BEST Thai papaya salad, smoked meats, crepes, indian food, etc etc … You can get durian and mamey, antiques, cheap clothes.
its very crowded also and is closed by 1 or 2 in the afternoon
Oh don’t forget the Thai lady with the roast rice stuffed with sweet Taro
May 9th, 2006 at 9:30 am
We had to move to Utah to make a living, but it’s always a tradition to visit the Farmer’s Market with my mom to buy the things I need to take home - lichee, cancanen, fish eggs, t-shirts - lots of goodies! But one thing I always look forward to is eating a big bowl of halo halo from the little store right by the Awa Bar. So ono! By the way, I love your website! Keep up the good work, so I’ll know where to eat the next time I visit. Aloha!
January 19th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
[...] Need a little break from shopping at the Hilo Farmer’s Market? Check out Hilo Bay Sugar Shack, located right next to the Farmer’s Market. They make a great halo halo, the popular filipino desert. [...]