Source: hawaiimagazine.com
Plan ahead and snag your tickets to one of the festival’s 11 events across three islands.
It’s once again time to wine and dine across the islands—Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival is back for its 14th year of celebrating all things culinary and raising money for community programs. This year sees the festival stretched over three islands, 10 venues and 11 events as Hawaiʻi’s premier culinary event returns this fall.
This year the festival features more than 100 chefs and 50 mixologists, sommeliers, and other spirits industry professionals from Hawaiʻi and the continent, with huge culinary names like Roy Yamaguchi, Masaharu Morimoto, Nyesha Arrington and Ming Tsai making appearances at a variety of events.
The fun kicks of on Hawaiʻi Island on Oct. 18, then Maui from Oct. 25 to 27, and finally to Oʻahu, where the majority of festival events happen, from Nov. 6 to 10.
Purchasing a ticket to Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival not only makes your mouth and stomach happy, it’s also extremely heartwarming. Because HFWF is a program of the nonprofit Hawaiʻi Ag and Culinary Alliance, each festival ticket purchase goes towards supporting Hawaiʻi’s farmers, ranchers, and lawai‘a (fishermen). It also helps support up-and-coming culinary talent and agricultural education for keiki (kids). Through these events, HFWF has raised more than $5 million for local nonprofit culinary, agricultural, community, and ‘āina-based organizations since 2011. Last year alone they raised more than $1.2 million for restaurant, bar and hospitality workers impacted by the Maui wildfires.
Can’t wait for the fun to start? Dine out during HFWF’s Chef’s Week now through Sept. 30 and you can unlock an exclusive offer that upgrades your purchased General Admission tickets to priority access tickets by dining at one of 50 participating local restaurants. Find the whole list and learn more at the HFWF website. Here are the can’t-miss events during the 14th annual Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival:
Hawaiʻi Island
The festival launches on Oct. 18 on Hawaiʻi Island with Lucky Dragon with Martin Yan and Friends. This event celebrates the Chinese Year of the Dragon with a grand tasting of Asian flavors featuring 13 Asian American chefs—a mix of local and national talent—including Yan Can Cook’s Martin Yan. Dishes will span a variety of cuisines and feature plenty of home-grown ingredients. Cocktails, wine other beverages and live entertainment help to create a magical night at the Mauna Kea Hotel. This year’s festival will also feature the introduction of a VIP Experience featuring tables for 10, early entry and reserved seating in the VIP lounge.
Maui
The action continues the following weekend, as the festival moves on to Maui with four events held in West Maui. For the first time, the festival is hosting the HFWF Pickleball Tournament at the Royal Lahʻāina Tennis Ranch on Oct. 27. This will be a round robin style tournament for teams of six, with special guests including some pickleball heavy hitters. After working up a sweat that morning, participants will enjoy tailgate-style festivities at the Backcourt BBQ Brunch at the Royal Lahʻāina, featuring beer, barbecue cocktails and more. Don’t worry—you don’t have to play pickleball to attend the barbecue. Tickets are available separately (but pickleball tournament tickets include access to the brunch).
Oʻahu
Finally, the Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival finishes out with six events across a week on O‘ahu. The O‘ahu leg kicks off on Nov. 6 at the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī as Kamehameha Schools presents Roots featuring a panel of indigenous chefs discussing their work and highlight indigenous foodways. The panel will be followed by a tasting event and a chance to engage with chefs. On Nov. 7 Chef Masaharu Morimoto hosts Jade Cocktail Club at the ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach. Both cocktails and food are given the spotlight at this event that includes a variety of Asian flavors, dishes and sips.
For more sips, wine lovers can indulge at Hawaiian Airlines presents Behind the Cellar Door at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on Nov. 8. This signature wine event gives guests the opportunity to chat with some of the world’s best winemakers, master sommeliers, and celebrity chefs for a truly memorable evening. On Nov. 9 the Halekūlani hosts Global Culinary Finesse: Celebrating the Rise of World-Class Chefs. This gala is a seated, five-course, wine-paired meal with a cocktail reception at the beginning of the night, all benefiting the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.
Rounding out the event on Nov. 10 is the Culinary EmpowHERment event at Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, a fun brunch created to uplift and empower women in the culinary and hospitality industry. The lineup is full of heavy hitters talking about the industry in a panel discussion, followed by a walk-around brunch featuring food and cocktails.
The festival wraps up at Ko Olina Resort with Spice Market, a beachside tasting featuring flavors from global spice trade routes, complete with wine, cocktails and a grand fireworks finale.