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Cheers to the Years

Sunday, March 12, 2023 12:05 am

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A sold out crowd fills the Luau Grounds Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Beer was flowing from 17 breweries Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Ken Pool pours a Voodoo Ranger Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Mugs are lined up Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Hula is performed Saturday at the start of the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Chef Junior Ulep of the Meridian Restaurant prepares ulu with wild boar and feta Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Honu Restaurant served Molokai dirty rice with venison and shrimp Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Tropics Restaurant serves french dip sliders Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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The signature Trash Fashion Show took center stage Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Rebecca Villegas struts her stuff as the signature Trash Fashion Show took center stage Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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The signature Trash Fashion Show took center stage Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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The signature Trash Fashion Show took center stage Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

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Kona Brew is served by volunteers Saturday at the 28th annual Kona Brewers Festival at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

By Laura Ruminski West Hawaii Today lruminski@westhawaiitoday.com

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Returning to the pre-pandemic format, the 28th Annual Kona Brewers Festival took place Saturday at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel Luau Grounds.

The sold out festival featured brews from 17 breweries with pupu selections from 16 chefs and restaurants.

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The zero waste event also featured live music and the signature trash fashion show. The show is the epitome of upcycling and creative reuse. Models walked the catwalk wearing elaborate gowns and outfits made entirely out of discarded and recycled materials.

The event was made possible thanks to the efforts of 400 volunteers who did everything from pour beer to oversee operations to ensure zero waste.

As part of a zero waste commitment, over 90% of festival waste created by the 1,200 attendees was diverted from landfills by converting waste into composted soil for local school gardens.

Over the past 27 years, the Kona Brewers Festival has become one of Kailua-Kona’s premier events and raised $1.5 million for well-deserving non-profit organizations. This year, 10 nonprofit beneficiaries will share in proceeds from the event, estimated to be $50,000.