HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Maui County Fair was a beloved community event with a rich history dating back to 1916. But like so many things, it became a casualty of the pandemic. Now after a four-year hiatus, lawmakers are hoping to revive it. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news "Everybody loved the county fair on Maui, so it's something that we look for every year," Maui County Council Budget, Finance, Economic Development Chair Yukilei Sugimura said. "I'm glad to see that there is a thought to bring it back." ‘A timeless tradition,’ Maui County Fair coming to an end after 97 years "I think Maui County is ready for an opportunity to get together and celebrate our lives together," Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee added. "And this would be a great opportunity to do that." Previous efforts to resurrect the fair proved unsuccessful, but Maui County is forging a new partnership with nonprofit Festivals of Aloha Inc. to pull it together. "We're still talking to a lot of our legacy fair partners and working with the county to get the initial groundwork set for the fair, but it's looking fairly good," Festivals of Aloha Executive Director Daryl Fujiwara said. A letter from Maui Mayor Richard Bisson, requested the Maui County Council release $1.5 to Festivals of Aloha for the fair in fall 2025. But council members said it's going to take more than money to make it happen. "We need plans drawn for where all of these things are going to go, who's going to run them, etc.," Lee said. "I look forward to this happening," Sugimura added. "But there's a lot of details that we need to know before we can just say 'yes.'" "I know there's a lot of concerns about manpower and whatnot, but I feel like if the community wants this, the community will step up and make it happen," Fujiwara explained. Increases in shipping costs and other COVID-era impacts will also affect the outcome. "I would imagine it'll look smaller," Lee said. "That used to be a gigantic affair previously, but because we're reviving it, not knowing all the challenges with the cost of the rides, the types of rides, the types of vendors, etc." She said it's like they're starting from scratch. "I think over time, we'll see the growth in it, and we just have to start somewhere," Fujiwara said. Sugimura said that she is going to recommend the bill be referred to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee so they can have a deeper dive in terms of what the costs are and what the vision is. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here The Maui County Council will begin discussing the transfer of money to the nonprofit for the Maui County Fair in their meeting on Friday, Jan. 17.