The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is held annually every November in Kona, Hawaii. This year it is slated to take place November 4th-7th, and this year is unique because it is the 50th-anniversary celebration.
“Throughout the 4-day Festival, celebrate the harvest as Kona coffee farms offer a firsthand look at growing this world-famous crop, the coffee art scene fills with inspiration, and music and dance enrich cultural exchanges. Kona coffee and food events offer tastings, and hands-on cultural events help tell the story of Kona’s rich coffee history.”
-The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
Kona coffee has been grown in Kona for almost two centuries, making this coffee sought after and very distinct in flavor. Kona coffee cannot grow just anywhere. Within the US, the only place that can produce this crop is the west side of the Big Island. The fertile soil of the volcanic mountains is situated where there is the perfect amount of sun and precipitation to create ideal growing conditions for this special coffee to flourish. This festival brings together small farmers, locals, and tourists every year to celebrate the culture, art, music, food, and drinks on the Big Island!
Over the four days, attendees will have the opportunity to choose from close to 20 events ranging from farm tours, barista training, recipe contests, art exhibitions, and a high-stakes cupping contest.
This year, events will be hosted both in-person and virtually. Entry into the event itself is free, but if you want to participate in a particular event, the purchase of a festival button ($5) is required. The official schedule for the 2021 event has yet to be released, but this guide found on the Big Island Guide website is a good indicator of what to expect this year!
Nov 4th – Greenwell Farms Seed to Cup Farm Tour – Live Event
Nov 4th – Kona Coffee Cultural Exhibition & Juried Art Show- Donkey Mill Art Center – Live Event
Nov 4th – Kona Coffee Cultural Quilt Show – Live Event
Nov 4th – Kona Coffee Living History Farm Tour – Facebook Live Event
Nov 4th – Kona Coffee Cupping Preliminary Round – Facebook Live/ Zoom Virtual Event
Nov 6th – Kona Coffee Living History Farm Tour – Facebook Live Event
Nov 6th – KTA Super Store – Kona Coffee Recipe Contest – Facebook Live Event
Nov 6th – Kona Coffee Cupping Final Top 10 – Facebook Live/ Zoom Virtual Event
Nov 6th – Lantern Parade and Bon Dance in Historic Kailua Village – Live Event
Nov 6th – Sugai Kona Coffee Talent Night – Aloha Theater – Live Event
Nov 7th – Marathon & Half Marathon at Coconut Grove Marketplace
Nov 7th – Kona Coffee Classes – additional workshop fee
Nov 7th – Coffee & Art Stroll in Holualoa
Nov 7th – Cultural Demonstrations with Local Artists – Donkey Mill Art Center – Live Event
Nov 7th – Little Miss Kona Coffee Pageant at the Aloha Theatre – additional fee
Nov 7th – UCC Hawaii Miss Kona Coffee Pageant at the Aloha Theatre – additional fee
Nov 7th – Barista Training – Kona Coffee and Tea – Virtual Event
To stay up to date with the latest news and schedule of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, you can visit this page here. At this event, there is something for everyone, which begs the question, will you be attending Hawaii’s oldest food festival this year?
