Midweek Feature: Event Showcases Central O‘ahu Entrepreneurs
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By: City Councilmember Matt Weyer
Central Oʻahu recently had the opportunity to come together and support local businesses at the first-ever Taste the Town Wahiawā. I was proud to see our community turn out for this free, family-friendly event presented by the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization, in partnership with Leeward Community College’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center, Wahiawā Fresh, and state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz’s office.
Taste the Town Wahiawā gave our local entrepreneurs, farmers and food producers the chance to showcase their products right here in their hometown.
Building on the popular Wahiawā Market Day, the event doubled the number of vendors, highlighting the growing innovation of our community. Attendees were able to support these small local businesses, enjoy live entertainment by the Royal Hawaiian Band and Ryugen Taiko, and even catch a special appearance by Wahiawā’s own chef Alan Wong.
Free trolley rides guided attendees along Cane Street, Kilani Avenue, Kamehameha Highway and California Avenue, making stops at small businesses while docents shared Wahiawā’s culture and agricultural history.
Events like Taste the Town Wahiawā do more than just celebrate food and entertainment. It represents an opportunity to strengthen our local economy, build community relationships and highlight our homegrown talent by shining a light on the incredible products made by our own community members.
Supporting small businesses in Wahiawā ensures that our entrepreneurs have the resources and visibility to grow, while keeping dollars circulating in our local economy. I look forward to seeing more events like this happening not only in District 2, but across all of Oʻahu in the near future.
At the same time, city services are also expanding to residents in the Lāʻie area with the launch of the North Shore’s first self-service Department of Motor Vehicles kiosk at Foodland Lāʻie. This touch-screen terminal operates like an ATM, allowing residents to renew and print motor vehicle registrations in just two minutes without long lines or delay.
The Lāʻie kiosk brings the total number of these kiosks to 10 across the island, which collectively processed a record-breaking 165,656 renewals in 2024. Residents can renew up to 10 months past the expiration date with a $16 late fee.
Together, Taste the Town Wahiawā and the new DMV kiosk demonstrate how we can make District 2 more connected. One initiative uplifts our small businesses and farmers, while the other brings essential services closer to residents in rural communities. Both make life more convenient for ʻohana across our large and diverse district.
Contact city Councilmember Matt Weyer (District 2 – Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, Wahiawā, Mokulē‘ia, Waialua, Hale‘iwa, Pūpūkea, Sunset Beach, Kahuku, Lā‘ie, Hau‘ula, Punalu‘u, Kahana, Ka‘a‘awa, Kualoa, Waiāhole, and Kahalu‘u) at 808-768-5002 or mweyer@honolulu.gov.
