Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Getting to Know Hawaii: Aloha Stadium Swap Meet

Hello Pinterest visitors and welcome to my blog!  If you like this post, feel free to click on my my Travel page and check out all of the cool places I've traveled to in Hawaii and elsewhere, or you could hop over to my Recipes page to see some yummy food I've been cooking up lately.  And don't forget to follow me on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram!  Thanks for looking!  :)


The Need to Knows:
  • The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is located at the Aloha Stadium in Aiea.  Here's a Google Maps link for the exact location:

View Larger Map
  • It is open only on Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM and also Wednesdays from 8 AM to 3 PM.
  • Admission is $1 per person, and kids 11 and under get in free.
  • I'd definitely recommend sunscreen, a hat, or even an umbrella, especially if you come here in the early to late afternoon.  There's relatively little shade and it can get hot since there's so much asphalt!
  • Because of how hot it can get, I highly recommend going in the morning (there will be more merchandise anyways!)
  • If you're looking for genuine made in Hawaii clothing, look for the Made in Hawaii label.  That way you can spot what was actually made here and what was manufactured abroad!
  • For more information, check out the swap meet's website at http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/.


The swap meet at Aloha Stadium is a fantastic place to grab all kinds of souvenirs and gifts for your loved ones back home.  When it's time for Christmas or birthdays throughout the year, you can bet Mr. L and I head here to find that unique Hawaiian treasure we know the person we have in mind will love.  It's also a must stop for souvenir shopping when we have guests visiting us, and it's often cheaper than the International Marketplace down in Waikiki (then again, I'm pretty sure anything outside of Waikiki is automatically cheaper...they must have a "location tax" or something added to their products, haha).


The swap meet actually wraps around the entire Aloha Stadium, which is about a mile long.  There are tons of vendors and multiple rows, so be prepared to do a bit of walking to find stuff you're interested in.


Also be prepared for the heat and intensity of the sun (mentioned above in the Need to Know section) and definitely crowds.  Some days, particularly on weekends, parking may be more difficult to find, but we've always found somewhere, even if we had to park in the giant lot pretty far away from the main entrance.


The swap meet has all kinds of goodies, from wood crafts, jewelry, and art to dresses and t-shirts (the 7 shirts for $20 deal is quite popular here!), handcrafted soaps, and delicious homemade treats like coconut peanut butter and jams and jellies.  The great part is if some of these things are sold elsewhere (Wal-Mart, Target, our NEX, etc.) they are normally a bit cheaper here at the swap meet.


There are also relatively few snack stands here, so if you do see one and you're hungry/thirsty, I'd suggest pouncing.  We always enjoy shave ice, but we've also seen ice cold fruit and yummy Hawaiian bread stands!


Do you enjoy visiting swap meets or flea markets?

Follow

No comments:

Post a Comment