By Yiming Fu, Report for America corps member
Hundreds lining up for sisig plates, teppanyaki and shaved ice Sunday for a Palengke Night at Lahaina Cannery Mall.
Shortly after the 4:00 p.m. start time, dance groups took to the field, performing traditional Filipino dances like isem which means “smile.”
As the sun set, kids belted out Bruno Mars and adults crooned their favorite Filipino language classics in a karaoke competition.
Lahaina’s second Palengke night brought dozens of small businesses together to put cash into the local economy. Kaibigan ng Lahaina, a group focusing on elevating Lahaina’s Filipino community after the fires, hosted the event.
Kaibigan director Sieny Corpuz said the first Palengke in November was a way for Lahaina’s Filipino community to support each other instead of rely on tourism.
Aloha Made shaved ice served up sweet treats for long lines all night. Their original location burned down in the Lahaina fires. Photo by Yiming Fu 
Maria Lanakila Catholic Church sold balut, pancit and lumpia to fund scholarships for students. Photo by Yiming Fu 
Jovy Magbual said he feels like he’s living the American dream. He’s blessed with a happy family, a good job and loves to cook at pop-up events. Photo by Yiming Fu 
Lyn Kaleikini started I&I Kreationz as an embroidery business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Yiming Fu 
While Kaleikini lost her home and her father in the Lahaina fires, she knew she had to keep going. Photo by Yiming Fu 
Crowds flocked to Tagpuan for their tusok trio and sisig plates. Photo by Yiming Fu
Mae Ann Dela Cruz owns Filipino food truck Tagpuan with her husband Rocky Cabading. Tagpuan’s specialties include chicken inasal, sisig and tusok trio. The couple worked at the hotels and sold plates to their co-workers.
At the November Palengke night, Tagpuan sold out within the first hour and made enough profit for Dela Cruz and Cabading to work at the food truck full time.
At Sunday’s event, Tagpuan doubled the amount of food they served and hired three people to help. They sold more than 325 plates, Cabading said, with steady long lines for the whole event. Cabading and Dela Cruz even ran out of rice, so they had to go to the store to buy more.
The business, which burned down in the Lahaina fires a day before the opening, is doing well Dela Cruz said.
After their hard work, they plan to go on vacation to the Philippines for a month.
Maria Lanakila Catholic Club brought messages of hope and joy with their dancing. Photo by Yiming Fu 
Singers stole the show at the Palengke Night karaoke competition, where contestants were judged on pronunciation, performance and emotional connection to the song/ Photo by Yiming Fu 
Songs ranged from Filipino language classes to Whitney Houston and Bruno Mars. Photo by Yiming Fu
Lyn Kaleikini owns I&I Kreationz, named after her two sons Isaac and Isaiah. She lost her family’s home and her father in the Lahaina fires.
“Losing everything to the fire, I had to stop everything. But I didn’t want to stop my business.”
I&I started as an embroidery side hustle, but Kaleikini collaborates with other businesses now to make their visions come to life. She no longer lives in Lahaina after the fires, but was glad to come back and support her community.
“A thriving Lahaina is this,” Kaleikini said pointing at the market, “our community coming together and helping one another.”
Maria Gazmen is the president of the Maria Lanakila Catholic Club, the only church that survived the Lahaina fires. The catholic club sold dishes like lumpia, pancit and balut to fund scholarships for Lahainaluna High School students.
Gazmen said Palengke night was like a homecoming. She got to see so many faces she hasn’t seen since the fires.
The church dance group decided to perform their dance “isem” which means smile. Gazmen said it’s symbolic of the ways Filipino people come together.
“For whatever trials in life, we Filipinos, especially Ilocanos, we still manage to smile.”
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