Kāmakoa Nui Park sports fields back in the game after $1 million in improvements

Local teams and the general public will soon be able to again rollick and play on multi-use sports fields at a Waikōloa park because of a public-private partnership that got them back in the game.

Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation invites the community to celebrate the reopening of the sports fields at Kāmakoa Nui Park in Waikōloa Village starting at 10 a.m. May 4 at the park.

The celebration will include a blessing, open flag football games, face painting, information booths, league softball games, giveaways, refreshments and other activities.

“We are excited to welcome the community back to Kāmakoa Nui Park’s revitalized sports fields,” said Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda. “This reopening is the result of a partnership between the county and the private sector, and it reflects our commitment to provide quality recreational spaces that support the health and well-being of our residents.”

Kāmakoa Nui Park is located at 68-1839 Kāmakoa Drive, on the corner of Kāmakoa Drive and Paniolo Avenue in Waikōloa Village.

It includes a skate park, ballfield, comfort station and the multi-purpose sports fields.

The sports fields were closed for several years following the failure of the park’s irrigation system. That eventually led to the demise of its grassy areas, ultimately rendering the fields useless.

They would remain unusable until a local developer offered to bring them back to life.

Waikōloa Heights Land Investors, which is developing the Nānā Kai subdivision located directly across from the park, reached an agreement with the county in 2023 to rejuvenate the Kāmakoa Nui Park fields.

The firm invested about $1 million of private funding to significantly improve the fields, including restoring the defunct irrigation system and restoring their grass turf, making them once again playable.

Parks and Rec is now reopening reservations for the fields. Inquiries can be directed to the Waikōloa Recreation Office at 808-883-6100.