Meghan Ofagalilo knows the hustle of getting her small business out to the public. The Kalihi resident would promote her baked goods, Made by Megz, by traveling all over Oʻahu to pop-up events.
Ofagalilo said it was always her dream to have a place in her hometown to support like-minded, local vendors. Now, she's the event coordinator for the Taste of Kalihi Market, which is in its second year and highlights the neighborhood's diverse culture.
"The market itself came from the idea of me not feeling that anything was available here at home," she said. "Home for me has always been Kalihi."
The event had 31 vendors this past weekend. Dozens of owners displayed their ethnic foods and one-of-a-kind creations, such as jewelry, clothing, sweets, kava, lumpia, birria tacos and music.
Many small businesses were born from the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated Hawaiʻi's economy in March 2020.
Jenn Balon of Creations by P1B turned her hobby into a business. She started sewing masks during the pandemic. But after the state mask mandate was lifted, Balon began experimenting with sewing hair scrunchies, bowl holders and more.
The now ʻEwa resident said it was a full circle moment for her to return to her hometown in Kalihi.
"It feels good," she said. "It's my stomping grounds, and I'm back."
Kelani Medali of Mztical Boutique started her business two years ago after her husband bought her a pair of Crocs. She started designing shoe charms that represent Hawaiʻi.
She would go on her iPad and design the Hawaiian flag, Indigenous flowers, SPAM, poi and even Hawaiʻi zip codes. Many of her designs are inspired by her customer's requests and feedback.
"When it comes to my Jibbitz, a lot of people love how many themes and characters I have," she said. "Seeing my customers happy makes me happy."
The smell of diverse foods wafted throughout the event. From birria tacos to lumpia, the neighborhood has a history of cultural delicacies.
One vendor from ʻEwa Beach has created a mix of mamon, a Filipino sponge cake, and mochi. Mel Girangaya of Manang Mochi said her business evolved after the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Girangaya said she always wanted to incorporate her culture into baking and showcasing Filipino culture.
She displayed flavors like ube and coffee, but Girangaya said her favorite flavor is pandan, which has an earthy vanilla mixed with coconut.
"Seeing people come and try something different they've never had before makes me feel good," she said.
One of the younger vendors is 21-year-old Lee-Ann Bali of Pomahina Paints. She started by hand painting on jean jackets, then transitioned to designing fabric and sewing.
"I try to get creative and mix patterns to a quilt style," she said.
Ofagalilo said the pandemic had brought out the hustle in many small businesses.
"I don't think a lot of people really realize that COVID-19 brought out so many entrepreneurs," she said. "People were laid off, people weren't working, then everybody realized they had something special that they could offer to the people, whether it was food, whether it was product, whether it was clothing."
Ofagalilo said she's already planning the next Taste of Kalihi Market event.
