Your Merrie Monarch Shopping Guide: Mana Up Makers to Find in Hilo

Aloha de Mele

Self-taught artist JT Ojerio discovered drawing while recovering from a hip injury in Chicago, sketching images of Hawaiʻi from memory — with her dog Mele by her side, the brand's namesake. Today, Aloha de Mele creates bold art prints, jewelry, and accessories that range from simple silhouettes to intricate lei poʻo, all designed to carry the aloha spirit wherever you are. At the festival, JT is debuting the YOTA and Kokiʻo tee in neon and moss, plus the Kokiʻo trucker hat.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

Arlie Glass

What started as a conversation — a customer's tutu's plumeria tree, the smell of puakenikeni from childhood — became the foundation for artist Arlie Pemberton's flame-worked glass lei and sculptures. Handcrafted on the North Shore of Oʻahu, each piece transforms an ephemeral bloom into a permanent heirloom. Glass was just her medium; aloha is the art.

Location at Merrie Monarch:
Merrie Monarch Craft Fair, Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium

Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals

This Hilo-born brand brings the healing power of Hawaiʻi Island's rainforests directly to your wellness routine. Their plant-based skincare and botanical products are rooted in ancient Hawaiian healing wisdom and a deep commitment to forest stewardship.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 
Pualu Hawai'i Makeke at the Hilo Daijingu

Big Island Coffee Roasters

Rooted in Hilo, Big Island Coffee Roasters brings the bold, nuanced flavors of Hawaiʻi Island directly to your cup. Known for their commitment to sustainability and direct trade, they work closely with local farmers to source exceptional beans and roast them to highlight the island’s unique terroir.

During Merrie Monarch season, their Hilo café is buzzing with locally inspired creations like the Pandan Latte, Poi Drizzle Latte, and Silver Jubilee Latte—a celebration of flavor, culture, and creativity. Guests can also enjoy in-café specials and beautifully hand-decorated sleeves that reflect the spirit of the festival.

Be sure to stop by their booth at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair, located near the Civic Auditorium stage, for a true taste of Hawaiʻi Island.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 

Merrie Monarch Craft Fair, Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium

Kākou Collective

Driven by a mission to preserve culture through art, Kākou Collective's stationery, accessories, and home goods are covered in hand-illustrated native Hawaiian plants. Their work is storytelling you can hold in your hands.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 
Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

Kahulale'a

Lifelong hula dancer Kehaulani Marzo Nielson started in 2013 by upcycling her vintage hula costumes into clutches — and what her friends and family saw in them sparked a brand. Every Kahulaleʻa print weaves the moʻolelo (stories) of the islands into resort wear for the whole family, drawing on themes of ʻohana, place, and the aloha spirit. The designs are beautiful — but they were always meant to be more than that.

Location at Merrie Monarch:
Prince Kūhiō Plaza

The Keiki Dept

Native Hawaiian māmā and teacher Leilani Sills couldn't find children's clothing that actually reflected island life — so she taught herself to sew. Today, The Keiki Dept creates keiki wear centered on native Hawaiian plants, animals, and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, grown from dining-table bibdanas into a full cultural education movement. Clothing shouldn't just cover your keiki — it should teach them something.

Location at Merrie Monarch:

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

Lahaʻole Designs

Founder Tanya Uyehara honors her culture and lineage through handcrafted jewelry and apparel featuring the native plants and flowers she grew up with. Her ʻŌhi'a Lehua Collection has been flying — most of what's left online is already set aside for Merrie Monarch, so what you see now is what's available. If you've been waiting, this is your look.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 
Merrie Monarch Craft Fair, Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium

Mohala Eyewear

Ashley Johnson started Mohala Eyewear after noticing that most sunglasses were designed for a single, Eurocentric face shape — leaving out the diverse women of Hawaiʻi and the world. Her solution: inclusive frames with multiple nose bridge fits, widths, and adjustable temples so every woman finally gets a pair that actually stays put. And every purchase sends a girl to school through the Room to Read program.

Location at Merrie Monarch: 

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

NOHO Home

Founded by Native Hawaiian designer Jalene Kanani, NOHO Home brings Hawaiian heritage into your living space through elevated décor that reimagines traditional motifs through a modern lens. "Noho" means home — and that feeling is in every product.

Location at Merrie Monarch:

Kuhio Mall

Pawniolo Pets

Founded by Big Island ranchers Nick and Miki Vericella, Pawniolo Pets grew out of their decision to feed their own dog the same grass-fed beef they raised on the family ranch — and the remarkable results that followed. Today the brand crafts raw pet food, single-ingredient treats, and preservative-free chews using a whole-animal, zero-waste butchery philosophy rooted in mālama ʻāina. Your pet is ʻohana — feed them like it.

Location at Merrie Monarch:

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

Sugar Caddy HI

During the pandemic, Ewa Beach locals Ian Pantorilla and Branden Agbunag looked at the golf polos available to them — overpriced, boring, and nothing like Hawaiʻi — and decided to make their own. Sugar Caddy HI now puts out bold, affordable Dri-Fit performance wear in limited-edition drops that collaborate with local artists and sell out fast. Golf is for everyone here, and the fits should prove it.

Location at Merrie Monarch:

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall

Yireh

The name means "will provide" in Hebrew, and for O'ahu-based designer Emily Jaime, it's been both a personal mantra and a business philosophy since she launched YIREH in 2014. Small-batch collections, non-toxic eco-certified dyes, and fair-wage manufacturing are the baseline; the flowy, one-of-a-kind prints that keep customers coming back are the reward. Looking good and doing good were never supposed to be separate things.

Location at Merrie Monarch:

Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market at Sangha Hall