The Big Island’s Premier Holiday Dinner & Show
Skip the planning. We’ve built the perfect Hawaiian Holiday Night.
November 13, 2026 - December 22, 2026 - December 29, 2026 - January 6,2027 - January 14, 2027
01 / Award-Winning Culinary
Enjoy a full-scale island feast highlighting traditional pit-roasted BBQ showcase and hand-crafted cocktails. Includes premium 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
A Storied Place. A Season to Remember.
At Historic Waikoloa Stables
For generations, the Historic Waikoloa Stables have stood as a cornerstone of ranching heritage, paniolo culture, and community life on the Kohala Coast. Historically home to the legendary Waikoloa Rodeo, these grounds once echoed with the fierce pride, horsemanship, and community celebrations of Hawaiʻi's working ranch culture.
Today, we are honored to bring these storied traditions back to life—breathing new energy into the arena and creating a vibrant gathering space where the past meets the present.
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 a signature pit-roasted BBQ showcase and fresh island sides
The BBQ Feast
Valid for your choice of premium cocktails, 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 night feast.
Island Dessert
Holiday Gifts & Island Makers
Explore our Holiday Showcase during each Paniolo Legends evening featuring locally made gifts, Hawaiian skincare, art and island provisions
Your Holiday Evening at the Stables
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 Heritage BBQ Feast:
A premium, long-table dining experience celebrating authentic, smoky island flavors and concluded with a decadent signature dessert.
The After-Hours Party:
The conversation doesn't stop when the show ends. Talk story with the cowboys, dance, drink, learn to rope and experience the magic of the stables under the stars.
The Ohana Feast
Prepared with Aloha
Dinner
Huli Huli Chicken
BBQ Ribs
BBQ Brisket
Paniolo Mac & Cheese
Baked Beans
Cole Slaw
Corn Bread
Paniolo BBQ Sauce
Beverages
Refreshments
A selection Craft beers, Hard Seltzer and signature island cocktails, Paniolo Margarita, Signature Mai Tai iced teas, water, and non-alcoholic refreshments are available throughout the evening.
Dessert
Key Lime Pie
Paniolo Peanut Butter Bars
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 Immersive Holiday Evening Lineup
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 Heritage BBQ Feast: A premium, long-table dining experience celebrating authentic, smoky island flavors and concluded with a decadent signature dessert.
The After-Hours Party: The conversation doesn't stop when the show ends. Talk story with the cowboys, dance, drink, learn to rope and experience the magic of the stables under the stars.
Holiday Show Schedule
November 13, 2026 5:30 - 8:30
December 22, 2026 5:30 - 8:30
December 29, 2026 5:30 - 8:30
January 6, 2027 5:30 - 8:30
January 14, 2027 5:30 - 8:30
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.
Wear The Legacy
The 1832 Paniolo Legends x The UIHA Hat Bar Experience
A true celebration of the Hawaiian cowboy is rooted in what we carry forward. This holiday Paniolo Legends is proud to partner with The UIHA Hat Bar on select shows to bring an exclusive, interactive element of high-end craftsmanship to our all-inclusive evening.
Named in honor of 2024 Paniolo Hall of Fame inductee Albert Uiha Lindsey—legendary cowboy foreman of Parker Ranch—UIHA embodies the rugged grit and refined grace of Waimea’s deep paniolo heritage.
This isn't just a keepsake; it’s an invitation to write your own chapter of the story. Guided by expert hat tenders, you will select a premium beaver fur or wool felt hat, shape it to your own style, and hand-brand it on-site with meaningful symbols of legacy, family, and this land. Witness the spectacle under the lights, and leave with a piece of history you can wear forever. UIHA pop up on Select Holiday Evenings.
