The Big Island’s Premier Nighttime Cultural Residency
Skip the planning. We’ve built the perfect Hawaiian summer night.
01 / Award-Winning Culinary
Enjoy a full-scale island feast prepared by the Umeke’s team, highlighting traditional pit-roasted BBQ showcase, our fresh signature poke bar, and hand-crafted cocktails. Your package includes premium pupus to welcome you to the stables and four craft drink tickets.
02 / Immersive Storytelling
Experience the gripping history, skills, and proud traditions of Hawaiʻi’s cowboy heritage brought to life inside the arena during Paniolo: Legends Under the Lights. Witness a premium live theatrical production blending authentic legacy horsemanship, storytelling, and music beneath the Kohala stars
03 / Live Music & Historic Atmosphere
Gather under the stars at the historic Waikōloa Stables for a uniquely local community evening filled with music, culture, and custom interactive installations. Arrive early to browse our custom hat bar and capture a professional golden hour photo with our performance horses to commemorate your night out
The Immersive Evening Lineup
The Big Island’s Newest Nighttime Cultural Experience
6:00 PM: The Open-Air Social & Golden Hour: Arrive as the sun dips below the Kohala Coast. Grab a drink, listen to live music, mix and mingle, and step into the arena to interact with the horses and capture incredible golden hour photos. Includes artisanal pūpūs and two premium drink tickets.
The Heritage BBQ Feast: A premium, long-table dining experience curated by Umeke's, celebrating authentic, smoky island flavors and concluded with a decadent signature dessert.
The Main Event: Legends Under the Lights: The centerpiece of the night—a high-production, unscripted display of live paniolo horsemanship, cinematic historical storytelling, and traditional music beneath the stadium lights.
The After-Hours Party: The conversation doesn't stop when the show ends. Stay late to talk story with the cowboys, dance, drink, and experience the magic of the stables under the stars.
Now Booking the Summer Series:
Thursday, July 9th at 6:00 PM – The Mid-Summer Feature
Thursday, August 13th at 6:00 PM – The Peak-Summer Feature
Thursday, September 3rd at 6:00 PM – The Labor Day Weekend Feature
Tickets are strictly limited and these nights will sell out. Select your date and preferred experience tier below to lock in your spot at the long-table.
The Paniolo Legends Experience
Admission to the live, immersive Paniolo: Legends Under the Lights arena spectacle, showcasing thrilling live horsemanship and rich island history,
The Arena Showcase
A full-scale culinary experience featuring welcoming pupus, a signature pit-roasted BBQ showcase, and Umeke's famous fresh poke bar.
The Umeke's Feast
Valid for your choice of premium local beers and refreshing Maui Brewing Co. hard seltzers.
2 Drink Tickets
End your evening under the stars with a sweet, locally inspired island dessert to complete the perfect date night feast.
Island Dessert
The Arena Program
Featuring Legendary Cowboys
Aki Smith & Gilbert Smith
GRAND ENTRY
The arena comes alive as the cowboys, horses, and spirit of the paniolo ride in beneath the lights. The evening begins with the National Anthem followed by Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī, honoring both the heritage of the islands and the enduring legacy of the Hawaiian cowboy. A powerful opening celebrating culture, community, and paniolo tradition.
TEAM ROPING
Precision, timing, and partnership. Watch skilled paniolo teams work together to rope and control cattle with speed and accuracy — one of ranch country’s most respected working events.
DOUBLE MUGGING
A true test of ranch skill and teamwork. Cowboys demonstrate the strength, coordination, and technique once used daily across Hawaiʻi’s cattle ranches.
MATCH BARRELS
Fast turns, flying dirt, and fearless riding. Riders race the clock through a high-speed barrel pattern that showcases agility, balance, and the connection between horse and rider.
TIE DOWN ROPING
Rooted in real ranch work, this classic event highlights precision roping, quick footwork, and expert horsemanship under pressure.
RIBBON MUGGING
Select representatives from each team are invited into the action for one of the evening’s most entertaining traditions. Team up, grab the ribbon, and see if you have what it takes to work like a real paniolo in this high-energy, crowd-pleasing challenge.
RANCH BRANDING
Step into Hawaiʻi ranch culture with an interactive branding experience inspired by generations of paniolo tradition. Three chosen competitors from each team will step into the arena for a hands-on, modern heritage moment—creating the ultimate photo opportunity and setting the tone for the night.
CATTLE DRESSING
Fast-paced, hilarious, and a crowd-favorite highlight. Select representatives from each side race against the clock in a playful, high-energy ranch challenge that always delivers unforgettable memories, brilliant chaos, and big laughs for the entire crowd.
FLAG RACE
Speed meets precision in this thrilling crowd favorite. Riders sprint across the arena in a fast-paced race that celebrates athleticism, courage, and horse-and-rider connection.
MEET THE COWBOYS
Meet the cowboys, and take a photo under the beautiful Waikoloa sky.
THE ‘OHANA FEAST
Prepared with aloha by Umekes
Arrival Appetizers
Island Ahi Poke Selection
Hottie • Sweetie • Kanaka Style
Fresh Island Fruit Display
Seasonal tropical fruits
Tasting Selections
Huli Huli Chicken
Island-style grilled chicken with traditional sweet & savory glaze
Slow Roasted Island Ribs
Tender baby back ribs finished with smoky island flavors
Hamakua Ho‘io Salad
Traditional local fern salad
Kohala Garden Greens
Fresh island greens with creamy oriental dressing
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Steamed White Rice
Served with shoyu on the side
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
With whipped lilikoi honey butter
Beverages
Complimentary Refreshments
A selection Craft beers, Hard Seltzer and signature island cocktails, iced teas, water, and non-alcoholic refreshments are available throughout the evening.
Dessert
Island Coconut Haupia Cake
1832 is not a date. It is a beginning.
In the early 19th century, Hawai‘i stood wild and unshaped by the rhythms of ranch life. Cattle roamed freely across the land, and horses—new to the islands—had yet to find their purpose.
In 1832, everything changed.
King Kamehameha III invited Mexican vaqueros (Spanish-speaking cowboys) to Hawai‘i to teach cattle management and advanced horsemanship. The word Paniolo itself is derived from Español.
What followed was not imitation—but evolution.
The Hawaiian paniolo emerged, blending an ancestral connection to the land (ʻāina) with exceptional rawhide roping skills and the agility needed to work rugged volcanic terrain. They became some of the most respected horsemen in the world, developing a culture tied to family lineage, music, and an intentional rhythm of life.
Today, that spirit lives on. In the dust of the arena. In the rhythm of the ride. In the stories passed from one generation to the next.
1832 is where the legend began.
