A new holiday shopping event is opening at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center this weekend, bringing over 200 local businesses together for the first time.

• The Nā Lehua Marketplace and Festival runs for three days, launching this weekend as the convention center's first event of its kind.
• Over 200 local, family-run businesses will sell goods, with a vendor fashion show highlighting island-made products.
• Early-access tickets let shoppers in two hours ahead of general admission, with part of the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish.
• Ticket purchases at the venue are cashless, so buyers need a card even though individual vendors may still take cash.

Outlook: Organizers are framing this as the first of an annual holiday tradition, with growth expected in future years.