pukalani stables farmers market waimea big island.

Hawaiʻi Island · Hawaiian Islands

Paniolo Heritage Center at Pukalani Stables

Founded in 1998, the Paniolo Preservation Society (PPS) is a nonprofit organization in Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island, that serves to perpetuate Hawaiʻi's paniolo legacy. Visitors can learn more by visiting the Paniolo Heritage Center, where they can tour a free museum that features historic Hawaiian saddles, artifacts and images celebrating the local ranching history, and visit Pukalani Stables — built in 1909 by Parker Ranch trustee A.W. Carter to house thoroughbred stallions, many of which became nationally renowned. There is also a gift shop with local crafts, apparel and housewares. After visiting the museum and gift shop, visitors are welcome to wander the stable grounds and have a picnic on the surrounding grassy knolls or picnic tables.

Food trucks at pukalani stables farmers market waimea big island hawaii. — Food trucks at Pukalani Stables Saturday farmers market. Photo by Sarah Burchard.

Paniolo History on Hawaiʻi Island

Hawaiʻi's ranching history began when Capt. George Vancouver gifted six cows and a bull to King Kamehameha I in 1793. By the mid-19th century, the cattle had proliferated to roughly 25,000, due to a kapu, or prohibition, on killing the cattle enforced by the king. The cattle, unafraid of humans, were running rampant, destroying crops and people's homes plus charging and even killing some locals, according to the Hawaiʻi National Park Service. King Kamehameha III rectified the situation by bringing over Mexican vaqueros to teach locals how to manage the cattle, along with the horses gifted to King Kamehameha I in 1803. Hawaiians struggled with the pronunciation of español, given there is no "s" in the Hawaiian language, and named the cowboys paniolo.

Museum at Pukalani Stables Waimea Big Island Hawaii. — Museum at Pukalani Stables. Photo by Sarah Burchard.

Farmers Markets at Pukalani Stables

Wednesdays and Saturdays are bustling at Pukalani Stables thanks to the weekly farmers markets it hosts. The Saturday Kamuela Farmers Market is the bigger of the two, with 75 vendors offering everything from tropical fruits and farm-fresh vegetables to artisan food products, prepared foods, art, T-shirts, plants and more. A microphone is passed around to those wanting to entertain the crowd with song, a fun karaoke element unique to the market. Food trucks serve a wide variety of cuisines, such as Japanese and Thai, plus some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches on the island. A percentage of the market proceeds goes to PPS.

However, as a resident of Waimea, the Wednesday market is my favorite to bring visitors to. This is where locals catch up and see what each other is selling each week. On non-market days, I bring a picnic and set up on the grass, taking in the beautiful views of the vibrant green hills and jacaranda trees that soar overhead, erupting in purple blooms each spring. Learning about paniolo is vital to living here. It's an enormous part of the local culture and history, one that is still thriving today on Hawaiʻi Island's many ranches.

Kamuela farmers market waimea big island hawaii. — Photo by Sarah Burchard.

Paniolo Preservation Society Events

The stables are a hub for many community events beyond the markets, such as the annual Paniolo BBQ and Slack Key Celebration and a portion of the Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival. General Manager of the Paniolo Preservation Society and Waimea native Jocelyn Jensen keeps the nonprofit on-task along with a board of directors. Her primary focus is building awareness around paniolo history and helping teach keiki about the past, present and future of the Hawaiian cowboy.

"I feel education is the key," Jensen said. "If I didn't know [about] paniolo history growing up, how are these kids [going to know]? There [were] only two sentences [about it] in our history books when we were kids."

Paniolo, or cowboy, introducing saddle in Waimea Hawaii — A paniolo showsing custom saddles in Waimea. Photo by Dana Edmunds / Hawaiian Tourism Authority.

The Future of Paniolo Preservation Society

Jensen explains that while keeping the paniolo culture top-of-mind for locals and visitors alike is imperative, the next major milestone for PPS is building a new museum by 2028 to permanently house the Aloha Vaqueros exhibition currently traveling the U.S. continent. The exhibit shares the traditions of Hawaiian paniolo, Mexican vaqueros and American Western cowboys, illustrating the connections through an immersive and educational experience.

The organization has also been instrumental in getting Hawaiian paniolo like Ikua Purdy — winner of the world championship of roping in Wyoming in 1908 — into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and supporting historically accurate restoration efforts on the century-old stables.

The ultimate goal for Jensen and the PPS, however, is to build a bridge between the Hawaiian paniolo culture and others who also have ranching deeply rooted in their history and future. A bridge from the past to the present that continues into the future. And through their work with schools, keiki, ranches across all the Hawaiian Islands and fundraising efforts, it grows stronger every day.

Waimea farmers market pukalani stables waimea big island hawaii. — Live music at Pukalani Stables Saturday farmers market. Photo by Sarah Burchard.

Quick Facts

Location: 67-139 Pukalani Road, Kamuela, HI 96743
Hours: Gift shop and museum are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Best Known For: Farmers markets, events, paniolo history
Who This is Best For: History lovers, shoppers
Parking: Free, ample parking in a dirt lot
What to bring: Camera, shopping bags for the markets
Restrooms: Yes
Drive from Kailua-Kona: ~1 hour
Drive from Hilo: ~ 1.25 hours