Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

View on map
Food & DrinkKailua-Kona
DatesDates TBA · Usually NovemberCheck locally before booking
DurationAnnualEstimate from available data
Crowd-Public scale varies
Best forRegional food & drinkFew American food festivals are built around
LanguageLocal language; English access variesCurrency: USD
CategoryFood & DrinkFestival type
The story

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in Kailua-Kona

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is a ten-day celebration held every November in Kailua-Kona and the surrounding coffee belt of the Big Island, honoring the farmers who grow one hundred percent Kona coffee. Billed as Hawaii's oldest food festival, it fills its schedule with farm tours, a lantern parade, cupping and latte-art competitions, scholarship pageants, an artisan market, and a half marathon through coffee country.

Coffee arrived in Hawaii by way of Honolulu around 1813, brought as an ornamental tree, but it was missionary Samuel Ruggles who planted the first cuttings in the Kona district around 1828, discovering that the region's volcanic soil, elevation, and rainfall pattern suited the crop unusually well.
Your trip starts here
What is special

The part that makes it specific.

01

The place changes

Few American food festivals are built around a single, geographically protected crop the way this one is: everything from the cupping competition to the recipe contest centers on coffee grown specifically within the narrow Kona coffee belt on volcanic soil

02

The mystery stays covered

The festival doubles as a scholarship engine, running Miss Kona Coffee and Little Miss Kona Coffee competitions that fund education for local youth, and it opens its working farms to visitors through tours at operations like Greenwell Farms and UCC Hawaii, letting attendees pick cherry and watch processing rather than only tasting the finished cup

03

The city starts moving

Its lantern parade from Kailua Pier and its Ho'olaule'a street festival tie the coffee harvest to a broader multicultural community celebration reflecting the district's Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, and Portuguese farming heritage

Traditions & symbols

The language of the festival.

What moves first

Living ritual

The lantern parade from Kailua Pier to Hale Halawai County Pavilion opens the festival with a community procession honoring the coffee harvest

Water and renewal

Living ritual

while the Ho'olaule'a

The sacred route

Living ritual

a Hawaiian-language term for a joyous community gathering

The local code

Living ritual

closes it with music

Tradition 5

Living ritual

The Miss and Little Miss Kona Coffee scholarship competitions

Tradition 6

Living ritual

running for decades

Tradition 7

Living ritual

root the festival's fundraising directly in recognizing young people connected to farming families

Tradition 8

Living ritual

and farm tours that let visitors hand-pick coffee cherry connect the celebration back to the actual harvest labor the festival honors

Before you go

Essential information

When to go

Dates TBA · Usually November

Getting around

Use Kailua-Kona transport around the venue or route first; event-day controls can change normal timing.

What to wear

Casual, breathable clothing suits the tropical Kona climate; comfortable closed-toe shoes are recommended for farm tours on uneven agricultural terrain, and sun protection is important since...

Safety

Use normal food-market caution, hydrate, and leave time between crowded stalls.

Where to stay

Stay near workable transport in Kailua-Kona, especially if the event runs late or streets close.

Tickets/cost

Entry may be free while tastings, meals, or special tables are paid locally.

Language/currency

USD

Family friendly

unknown

Interactive map19.64 N, 156.00 WOpen in Google Maps

Kailua-Kona, HI

Nearest airportKOA — Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole
TransportUse Kailua-Kona transport around the venue or route first; event-day controls can change normal timing.
Stay areaStay near workable transport in Kailua-Kona, especially if the event runs late or streets close.

Your Trip Starts Here

External travel services to turn the plan into a trip — each opens in a new tab.

How to get thereRoutes, times and prices to Kailua-Kona via local transport.Search routesFind a place to stayStays near Kailua-Kona, close enough for the event-day route.Browse staysFind flightsCompare fares into the nearest practical airport for November.Compare faresFestival gearCasual, breathable clothing suits the tropical Kona climate; comfortable closed-toe shoes are recommended for farm tours on uneven agricultural terrain, and sun protection is important since many events run outdoors at midday. Evening events like the scholarship pageants tend to be dressier.Shop the kitCheck visa requirementsSee whether you need a visa for United States and apply online.Check entry rulesTravel insuranceCover for trip hiccups, gear and health on the road.Get covered

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FAQ

Quick answers.

When is Kona Coffee Cultural Festival?

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is listed for November. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.

Where does Kona Coffee Cultural Festival take place?

The festival is listed in Kailua-Kona, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.

How long should I plan for?

Annual is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.

Is a source linked?

Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.

Where exactly is it?

Kailua-Kona, HI

Is it family friendly?

unknown

Sources and editorial review

About this guide

This guide is independently written by Eventisimus using publicly available information, official event and organiser sources where available, local tourism references, and additional editorial research. Eventisimus is not the official organiser of this festival and is not affiliated with it unless explicitly stated.

Festival dates, schedules, ticket conditions, access rules, and local arrangements can change. We aim to present useful and accurate information, but travelers should confirm important details with the official event source before booking transport, accommodation, or tickets.

Found something inaccurate or outdated? Email hello@eventisimus.com with the festival page link and the correction.

Official URLkonacoffeefest.com
Organizer accessAre you the organizer? Claim this listing →
SourceSource link available
Listed datesDates TBA · Usually November
Source statusOfficial source linked
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