Vermont Lūʻau 2025
Aloha friends & ‘ohana!
On the last Saturday in August (this year it’s the 30th) from noon-till, we are hosting our 12th Annual Vermont Lū‘au! It's been our honor and delight to host this community gathering, while sharing my/our Hawaiian culture and ancestry.
We invite you to come eat, make art, play and share aloha + stories while we celebrate all of our ancestors. Bring your keiki (kids), ‘ohana (family), and hoaloha (friends). We have a big backyard, game fields, stage and sound system. The lūʻau is a multi-day event with the process being as fun as the feast. So, please, come early and often.
): No dogs, please :(
Please RSVP so we know we’ll have enough of everything :)
A hui hou. (Until we see each other again.) Lots of love!
Erin Maile + Kevin
More details below…
Join us for any part of the
Full Schedule
The lūʻau is a multi-day event with the process being as fun as the feast. So, please, come early and often. When you arrive, look for the chalkboard and find a project crew you want to join. Weʻll be sharing food, music and games, too.
THU, August 21 & 28 — 10am-5pm
Setting up for the festivities—We have a few prep days coming up when we'd love to have you jump in if you have the time. Come join us for some making, building and setting up. Stop by & help us turn our backyard into a big party venue! Text/call us at 808-469-1303.
FRI, August 29 — noon-8pm
Imu (pit oven)—Digging the imu, building the fire, preparing the pork, and loading the imu, bring food you want to cook in the ground, plus a salad if you’re staying for dinner. Pāʻani game fields—mowing & setting up courts for field games. Signage + beautification—come help us do some decorating.
12:00-3:00PM — Set-up + beautify
3:00-7:00PM — Prepare + seal imu
7:00PM — Chicken wings + salads
SAT, August 30 — noon-till
All Day Games—a few Hawaiian lawn games, plus badminton and bocce ball, and maybe Mahjong this year, Kanikapila (music jam)—bring your ukuleles, instruments, songs and voices to keep the music live, Lei-making—Bring hardy flowers and ferns, Shave Ice Booth—make and bring your favorite syrup flavor to share.
12:00 Pūpū—Appetizers
12:30 Ancestor Circle—Join in a circle that gives significance to how we come together to celebrate all of our ancestors. We will honor the indigenous people that have been and continue to be in relationship with this Land for over 12,000 years.
1:00 Unearthing the Food—We’ll open the imu at 1pm. Come to help or for the spectacle.
1:30 Shredding the Pork—Lots of gloved hands make light work of this.
2:00 Feast begins
4:00 Dessert begins
6:00 Musubi Station—No worries, we’ll have lots of fixins’ for ʻono kine musubi and sweet roll sandwiches into the evening. (If you have knife skills, this is the station for you ;)
7:30 Flaming “P”—for Punahou School! (MidPac and Kamehameha, what you got? Bring it. We welcome your celebration of school spirit, too!)
8:00 DJ Dance + Clean-up Party—the sun sets & the dance party begins with Maile’s special Lilikoʻi (passionfruit) Margaritas!
SUN, August 31 — 8am-11am
Post Lūʻau Brunch, Clean-up + Talk Story—It’s an international brunch-off! Using some of the leftover ingredients come cook up something from your heritage or just come help us eat all of the ʻono kine food. Call ahead to see if we need more eggs, milk and coffee.
What to bring
Bring a blanket or chair to sit on. We’ll mostly be eating Hawaiian-Style on the ground, but we’ll have a few tables and chairs for our kupuna (elders) and those who need it.
Bring your musical instruments and hula.
Bring games, sunscreen, hats, you know, whatever you would bring to the beach.
This year we’re also asking that you bring your own plate, cup and utensils, if you can. We will have a wash station. This will seriously cutdown on waste.
Bring lei-making flowers.
Hawai'i natives, if you have, bring ʻulu maika (Hawaiian bowling stones), konane sets (Hawaiian checkers), ihe (Hawaiian spears), lauhala mats, and lei-making materials.
Bring a tent for camping, if you can stay the weekend.
But, mostly bringing ʻono kaukau (delicious food and drinks) to share. I know, I always come back to the food! In order to have enough food (and this is key to any feast), please bring a dish of your choice, plus beverages.
If you can, we are grateful to those that donate to the Kālua Pork/Paper Goods Fund (purchasing of pork, ingredients, paper goods and all those party expenses). It has made the difference in sustaining this lūʻau. Last year we purchased 120lbs of local pork. We’ll have a donation bowl or you can Venmo: @ErinMaile.
Mahalo!
Itʻs a potluck
What are you cooking?
Try your hand at some Hawaiian-Pacific Island-Asian recipes below.
Bring your voice. Bring an instrument.
Kanikapila
Listen up, Musicians.
Please join Cara Trezise at 4:15 to play some Hawaiian music. Bring your instruments, voices, and jump in! Here's a running list of Hawaiian tunes we hope to play...
Drop Baby Drop — The Manao Company
Hanalei Moon — Dennis Pavao
Come On Over — Hui Ohana
Fish and Poi — Sean Naʻauao
Pua Hone — The Brothers Cazimero
Pua Lilia — The Brothers Cazimero
Alika — Genoa Keawe
Koʻula — The Kahauanau Lake Trio
Aloha
drone footage by Fhar Miess, Lūʻau 2023
FAQ’s
Should I bring my kids?
Definitely!
Can I bring my dog?
Please do not. Itʻs an added dynamic that has proven difficult in the past.
Will there be a place to take a nap?
Absolutely. Napping is encouraged so you can stay the whole day.
What should I wear?
Aloha attire is always welcome at our house. Dress to play and sit on the ground.
Where can I stay?
Check out the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce or consider joining the celebration all weekend long and camp onsite. Text me for details: 808-469-1303.
What should I cook?
The lūʻau is an opportunity to explore Hawaiian-Pacific-Asian cuisine and share the bounty of our gardens at this time of year. Check out the recipe page.
How much should I make of the dish I am bringing?
I like to think of quantity like this… if I was going to feed my whole family/group coming to the lūʻau with just this dish(es) for the time we are attending, I should have at least that size of a dish(es), plus some.
Where do I put my appetizer (pūpū), dinner dish and/or dessert when I arrive?
We will have tables set up for each with table tents to describe your dish and its ingredients. We will have a cool area to keep desserts safe until dessert time.
Should I mark my plate?
Yes, please. Masking tape and pens will be available at the food table so that we make sure your plates/containers get back to you. You can also join the “food table crew” clearing the empty containers, rinsing and gathering them. Remember to pick yours up on your way out!
What if I really don’t have time to cook?
Please consider contributing to the Kālua Pork/Paper Goods Fund at the lūʻau. Last year we purchased 120lbs of local pork. We’ll have a donation bowl or you can venmo @ErinMaile. Mahalo!
Will there be live music?
For sure. And definitely if you bring your ukulele, guitar, drum or…
Can I make a string lei or haku lei?
Yes! Bring hardy flowers from your garden, thick thread and long needles, and/or raffia. We will have some supplies, too.
Can I bring my favorite flavor of shave ice syrup?
Yes, please! Make a seasonal fruit syrup and maybe sweeten it with maple syrup :)
Where do we park our cars?
Thanks to our generous neighbors, parking will be in the field just north of our house. Look for signs and parking directors.
Is there accessible parking?
Yes, please park in our driveway. You will simply need to move the sign directing everyone else to the field parking.
Where do we park our bikes?
We have lots of room for bikes in our driveway, too.
How can I help?
You can text us or just show up on Thursday or Friday between noon-5pm for our set-up. On Friday you can be part of the “imu crew” from 3-7pm (this includes a potluck dinner). Saturday morning we’ll be doing final set-up from 9-11am. From 11am-noon we hope to shower, center and settle in for the ancestor circle. On Sunday we host a super chill ʻono brunch and cleanup.
Are there any leadership roles available?
We are so glad you asked ;) On the day-of it really takes a village. Think about sharing one of these roles at the lūʻau…
Food Preparers
Parking Directors
Flower Arrangers
Food Table Angels
Shave Ice Operators (perfect role for youth)
Outhouse Tidiers
Dish Washers
Garbage Managers
Field Games Initiators
Any any other role you see needed :)