The Maui County Fair is returning on Oct. 2-5, with a traditional parade, games, rides and more. Maui News archive photo

The Maui County Fair is returning Oct. 2-5 after a six-year absence.

The county has agreed to spend $1.5 million for the 98th Maui County Fair, with a traditional parade down Ka’ahumanu Avenue before the opening at the fair grounds at the War Memorial Special Events Complex.

The event will include amusement rides in the Joy Zone under operator E.K. Fernandez as well games and 44 food booths for nonprofit organizations.

The county said the rides include Dizzy Dragons, Helicopter, Magic Maze, Merry-GoRound, Lolli Swings, Pharoah’s Fury, Seven Seas, Super Sizzler, Super Slide, Wacky Worm, Wave Swinger and Zero Gravity.

Fair organizer Daryl Fujiwara said the county is developing plans to pay for transportation to bring people from Lanai and Molokai.

The event was among the most well-attended in the county with 90,000 people in attendance in the past.

The 98th Maui County Fair will be the first Neighbor Island venture for E.K. Fernandez since 2019.

Besides rides, Fernandez will have a couple of food trailers with funnel cakes and cotton candy.

Fujiwara said the fair will include daily entertainment and he hopes to bring back various contests, including the Healthy Baby Contest.

Nonprofit food vendor applications are being accepted now with a deadline of Aug. 8. Application and interest forms are available at themauifair.com.

The fair was discontinued in 2020 due to the COVID epidemic.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced in July that the Maui County Fair would be returning to Wailuku this year.

“It’s a chance to reconnect, heal and move forward,” Bissen said.

Admission to the Maui County Fair will be $10 for adults and $5 for children, Fujiwara said.

E.K. Fernandez now has an app available for purchasing rides (the old card system will no longer be used). A cash loading system is in the works.