Lāhainā is a town and census-designated place (CDP) located in West Maui, Maui County, Hawaiʻi. As of the 2000 Census, the CDP had a resident population of 9,118 — encompassing towns upto Honokahau and south to Olawalu (before the tunnel). Lāhainā means "cruel sun" in Hawaiian, describing droughts that affect the area. During the heavy tourist seasons, the population can swell to nearly 40,000 people.
In Lāhainā, the locus of activity is along Front Street, which dates back to the 1820s. It is lined with stores and restaurants, and is often packed with tourists. Banyan Tree Square features an exceptionally large banyan tree planted in 1873 to commemorate the fiftieth aniversary of the arrival of the missionaries. It is also the site of the reconstructed ruins of Lāhainā Fort, originally built in 1832.
Prior to unification of the islands, in 1795, the town was sacked by Kamehameha the Great. Lāhainā was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1820 to 1845. In 1824, at the request of the chiefs, Betsey Stockton started the first mission school open to the common people. It was once an important destination for the 19th century whaling fleet, whose presence at Lāhainā frequently led to conflicts with the Christian missionaries living there. On more than one occasion the conflict was so severe that it led to the shelling of Lāhainā by whaleboats.
The banyan tree in Courthouse Square is noteworthy for its size. As a strangling fig, it has grown by dropping roots from its branches that then become additional trunks, allowing it to cover two-thirds of an acre.
In 1831 a fort was built for defense, and the remains of its 20 foot walls and original cannons can still be seen.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua hosts the PGA Mercedes Championships every January.
The many restaurants along Front Street, some of national renown like Bubba Gump, others local, offer a broad variety of food and entertainment, making the street the hub of West Maui's night life.
Every November, Lāhainā hosts the Maui Invitational, one of the top early-season tournaments in college basketball.
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