Author: Lance Tominaga
It’s true: The people of Hawai‘i love to throw a party. The bigger, the better. Wherever you go in the islands, there’s bound to be a festival taking place, with all types of food, entertainment, games and more. Some festivals are big, some are small, but each one offers generous servings of warm aloha spirit.
The largest festival happens each June on the island of O‘ahu. Taste of Honolulu, is a three-day event that showcases food samplings from more than 25 of the island’s top restaurants. In addition to the great food, there’s live musical entertainment, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, a beer garden and family exhibits. There’s a nominal admission charge, and food is sold by scrip.
A similar benefit takes place on Maui each September. A Taste of Lahaina, a two-day event at Lahaina Recreation Park, offers savory samplings from more than 25 Maui restaurants—from mahimahi over jasmine rice to spaghetti and meatballs. The event benefits several youth groups on the island, including schools and athletic organizations.
The resort area of Wailea has its own food event. Part of the Maui Film Festival, the Taste of Wailea features Wailea’s top chefs preparing mouthwatering portions of their signature dishes (which are, naturally, accompanied by some of the world’s finest wines).
Each summer, food and wine aficionados from all over the country head to Kapalua on Maui for the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. Regarded as Hawaii’s most prestigious and longest running food and wine extravaganza, this four-day event features exclusive wine tasting seminars, cooking demonstrations by internationally acclaimed chefs and a fantastic selection of the world’s premier wines.
On the Big Island, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival takes place each November. The 10-day festival includes more than 30 community events, including coffee tastings, art exhibits, recipe contests and more.
These are just a few of the festivals that highlight Hawaii’s special events calendar. Be sure to check ahead and see what’s coming up during your Hawaiian stay! Photo Credits:Photo2: TS Restaurants, Photo3: TS Restaurants ©2003-2004 Media-HI, Inc. All rights reserved. |
