Roy Silva, New Maui County Fair Director 2011
Roy Silva has long been a fan of the Maui Fair. “My memories with the Maui Fair started with riding my bike there in the early 1960s to help my dad at Mr. Iwao Sato’s live fish booth in the Better Living Tent,” he said. “I marched in the parade as a scout in 1966 and 1967, and again in 1971 as a St. Anthony High School ROTC cadet. As I got older, I worked in the candy apple booth and the corn-on-the-cob booth. So the Maui Fair holds a special place in my heart and for my family.”
For that reason, it’s fitting that the 89th annual Maui Fair gets a new perspective with the appointment of Silva as its new director. He replaces Karey Anne Oura Kapoi. Silva spent the last eight years as the Fair’s Parade Chairperson. His new job will have him lead community relations and outreach as well as offer creative and promotional concepts toward the overall vision of the fair.
There’s something for everyone at the Maui Fair and it’s one of the best attended events on island, with approximately 95,000 folks pouring into the War Memorial property in Kahului during the fair’s four days. Still, Silva hopes to increase attendance with the improving economy.
“We are looking at starting a ‘Stir fry’ event this year,” Silva said. “This event will feature our Maui Farmers and their locally grown products. Thanks to our hard working Managing Director Sherri Grimes, the ‘Healthy Baby’ contest will return to the Maui Fair this year. My personal goal is to listen to our community on what the community wants to see at the Maui Fair.”
The event takes hundreds of volunteers from the food vendor booths to the orchidland, livestock and poultry exhibits. Silva will continue to work closely with Grimes.
“After so many years working on this amazing event, I am so grateful to the volunteers, community service and non-profit groups, chairpersons and committees, Board of Directors, various state and county agencies, sponsors and the many other gracious supporters who are responsible for making the Maui Fair come alive,” Grimes said.
The 2011 Fair will open with the traditional parade on Thursday, Sept. 29, and will continue with rides, food, entertainment and more through the evening of Sunday, Oct. 2.
The Maui Fair is an icon of family tradition. It attracts locals and visitors to enjoy an alcohol-free, smoke-free and drug-free family-oriented educational event that features multicultural food, first-rate entertainment and the E.K. Fernandez Fun Zone. There’s also horticulture, bonsai, livestock, homemaking, photo, art and educational exhibits and competitions. The unique and innovative products in the Commercial Exhibitor and Hawaii Products & Services Tents (formerly known as the Better Living and Arts & Crafts Tents) as well as amazing student achievements in the Annual Robo Tech Maui Expo & Competition continue to draw the young and old.
The Maui Fair is the primary source of funding for many of Maui’s nonprofit and community organizations. It relies entirely on corporate or local business sponsorships, local donations, and volunteers for support. Corporate Sponsorship packets are also available online for download.
“In today’s tough times we need some where to go with our family and friends and just ‘kick back,'” Silva said. “I invite the community to meet me at the fair and share their thoughts on how we can continue to grow and improve our community’s ‘Timeless Tradition.'”