Perk up Hawaii Island — the 44th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival begins Friday and runs through Nov. 16.
With the theme, “Bringing Kona Together,” the festival is full to the rim with special events for residents and visitors to experience the Kona coffee lifestyle, savor Kona coffee and connect with the farmers who produce it.
Recognized as the oldest and one of the most successful food festivals in Hawaii, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival continues to brew interest and attract approximately 17,000 fans each year, said Melvin Morimoto, festival president. It combines a modern-day infatuation with coffee with Kona’s history and rich multicultural heritage while saluting the famous beans and those involved.
“This year’s theme reminds me of long ago, when nearly everyone in Kona shared the common goal of growing coffee,” Morimoto said. “It was a time of when family values and life lessons were taught outdoors, day after day, in Kona’s mauka farming communities. Those of us who were fortunate enough to be raised here on a coffee farm remember when coffee brought everyone together.”
Every cup of Kona coffee shares a story of traditions that produced this legacy, which has been percolating on the island’s leeward coast since 1828. Early on, coffee was grown throughout the island, but by the second half of the 19th century, production centered in Kona, where rich volcanic soil, bright sunny mornings, afternoon cloud cover, ample rainfall and higher elevation exists.
Large coffee plantations flourished in Kona until the world coffee market crashed in 1899. Immigrants from Japan seized an entrepreneurial opportunity and leased the failing lands in 3- to 5-acre parcels for $30 a year and a portion of their cultivated coffee. These family-run farms kept Kona coffee alive during tough times.
The Kona coffee story is one that is heard throughout America. Morimoto said that story speaks of traditions, life lessons, hard work, sacrifice, and a strong commitment to cultivate a better life. It’s also a story that many can relate to or appreciate, he added.
Early immigrants to Hawaii from America, China, Portugal, Japan, Philippines, Korea and Puerto Rico, along with Native Hawaiians, endured endless hours of farm work, planting and picking coffee cherries by hand. Pioneers added cultural diversity and a mix of ethnic traditions while embracing aloha.
The lives of Kona residents revolved around the coffee industry. In fact, area schools like Konawaena operated on a “coffee schedule,” meaning summer vacation was shifted to winter months to allow students to assist their families by working on the farm and harvesting coffee cherries, Morimoto said.
Today, fifth- and sixth-generation Kona coffee farmers work alongside newcomers to cultivate more than 4,000 acres in coffee production. Approximately 600 independent Kona coffee farms continue to uphold the quality that have made Kona coffee a success.
Coffee remains an important part of Hawaii’s agriculture sector and a highly valued commodity in the economy. While the total farm revenues generated statewide is approximately $30 million, the Hawaii agricultural statistics service estimates the value of these farm’s agricultural tourism activities to be nearly $40 million. Hawaii remains the only state in the nation where coffee is grown commercially.
Morimoto said the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is more than an entertaining and educational 10-day celebration; it provides a sense of place, helping “define who we are as a community.” He added, the goal this year is to “bridge the old and new” while also generating more interest and support for Kona coffee.
Festival Operations Director Matt Carter mentioned how the festival is unique because it offers deeper connections to people with incredible knowledge, stories, life lessons, aloha and heart. That’s the reason he thinks people continue to return year after year.
Proof of its popularity was shown this summer, when the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival was named one of 10 national winners in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Specialty Food Festival travel award contest.
Carter said the festival continues to gets requests from community groups, businesses and others wanting to be a part of the event. Throughout the year, the board of directors, event chairs and community volunteers work to create and present festival opportunities that preserve, perpetuate and promote Kona‘s coffee heritage and culture. Among the favorites are the Kona Coffee Cupping Competition, Holualoa Art &Kona Coffee Stroll, Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Pageant, hoolaulea, farm tours, and Kona Coffee Picking Contest.
Each year, the committee looks at ways in which the festival can grow, expand and enhance. Organizers of the Kona Coffee Picking Contest have added another component to this much-anticipated, highly competitive event at the picturesque Ueshima Coffee Co. farm in Holualoa. After experiencing the thrill of picking, children ages 8 to 12 in teams of six will compete in the first-ever Coffee Games to win money for their community organization. A barbecue will follow.
Also new this year are the Kona Coffee Belt Tour; Celebrate Kona Day; a beer, wine and coffee pairing event at Kona Coffee &Tea Co.; and a coffee talk, covering everything from seed to cup, at Daylight Mind Coffee Co., Carter said.
The approximately 25-mile piece of land, stretching from Holualoa south to Honaunau, is the Kona Coffee Belt. For coffee devotees, it’s their Napa Valley, and the new guided tour gives them exactly want they want: coffee roasting and picking experiences, a locally sourced farm-to-table-lunch, opportunities to learn about organic farming, and a tea tasting. Reservations are required for the $150 Kona Coffee Belt Tour, and spots are filling up quickly, Carter said.
Celebrate Kona Day builds on the success of the Kokua Kailua Village Stroll, a monthly event promoting Kailua Village businesses and community while encouraging all to shop, dine and buy local. Organizers of Celebrate Kona Day decided to have their event during the stroll in an effort to bring more people downtown. As the festival’s finale, Celebrate Kona Day will feature numerous family-friendly events and entertainment from Kailua Pier to Waterfront Row. For example, at Hale Halawai, attendees can play a nine-hole mini golf course provided by the Guy Toyama Memorial Scholarship Fund and sample Kona coffee, Carter said.
Most events are supported by sponsors and community donors, all of whom help make this nonprofit festival possible. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival solely relies on these donations and sponsorships, though a small percentage of money comes from the sale of festival buttons and other promotional items. All proceeds generated go directly back into the festival, Carter said.
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival also receives funding from the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Major Festivals Program. The tourism authority selects festivals throughout the state based on the number of attendees, both visitors and residents, the event attracts and the amount of national and international media coverage generated in marketing efforts. Other major sponsors are UCC and Kamehameha Schools. Morimoto would not disclose the total funding these three sponsors provide.
A $3 festival button gains public entrance into numerous events. However, there are some events that require an additional fee.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit konacoffeefest.com.