From stamps to plants to home-grown fruit, it was all about making and selling locally made products last weekend at the Blaisdell.

For some, like Jerome Furukawa, president of Kona Chips, a Big Island potato chip company, the three-day Made in Hawai'i Festival was a test of the appeal of his chips.

For others, like Blossom Poepoe, manager of Kanemitsu Bakery and Restaurant, a Moloka'i handmade bread store, the three days were fun and tiring at the same time.

As she sold her last two loaves of bread, Poepoe said she and only a handful of other businesses have been coming to the annual Made in Hawai'i Festival for its entire 14-year history.

Every day, Poepoe said, they sold out of bread and had more shipped in for the next day's festival.

"Every year it's been like this," she said. "We do have a following. Each year they have to find me because I am not in the same place."

About 35,000 people attended the three-day event, where young companies can test out new products or expand marketing efforts from the Neighbor Islands. The first Made in Hawai'i festival had 61 booths. This year, there were 500 spread out between the exhibition hall and the arena.

The Kona Chips company had no idea that once people tasted their chips they'd clamor to buy them, particularly the ones with furikake flavoring.

"We didn't expect to sell our first year here," Furukawa said. "We made provisions to sell whatever was left over to Long's at Manoa, but we ran out at 1:30 p.m. today."

The company is well established on the Kona side of the Big Island, Furukawa said, and decided to come to the festival for the exposure.

"Ninety percent of the people here didn't even know we existed," he said. "It was crazy."

Marlene Kamakawiwo'ole and her friend, Debbie Ahsing, wandered up and down the rows of entrepreneurs, amazed by the variety of goods and the talent it takes to bring an idea from concept to showroom.

"It's very interesting," Kamakawiwo'ole said. "It just makes you want to be creative, too. It's a good place for ideas."