If coinciding with a meeting, Hawaii’s many food-related festivals provide ways to sample the islands’ bounty and mingle with the locals. Following is just a small sampling of what is available.
Oahu
Normally scheduled for the last Saturday in April, the Waikiki Spam Jam celebrates the local love of Spam by closing off Kalakaua Avenue to traffic and setting up entertainment stages. A dozen local restaurants are on hand to prepare Spam in a multitude of ways.
Set for Aug. 17-19 this year at Honolulu’s Neal Blaisdell Center, the Made in Hawaii Festival is a showcase for locally made foods and other products and also includes cooking demonstrations by local chefs.
Maui
The East Maui Taro Festival, annually held during the last weekend of April, features a taro-pounding demonstration, a taro pancake breakfast and other activities.
Big Island
The Kona Chocolate Festival, annually held in late March at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, includes an evening gala, spa treatments, seminars, and programs designed to raise awareness about locally produced chocolate.
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, which will be held in various locations around the island Nov. 3-11 this year, offers coffee tasting, farm tours, art exhibits, cupping competitions, and parades.
Scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort, the Taste of the Hawaiian Range Food and Agriculture Festival features more than 20 chefs preparing dishes with locally raised beef and produce.
For More Info
East Maui Taro Festival 808.264.1553
www.tarofestival.org
Kona Chocolate Festival 808.937.7596
www.konacoffeefest.com
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival 808.326.7820
www.meetbigisland.com
Made in Hawaii Festival 808.533.1292
www.madeinhawaiifestival.com
Taste of the Hawaiian Range Food & Agriculture Festival 808.391.7459
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/taste
Waikiki Spam Jam www.spamjamhawaii.com
