photo courtesy Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

(BIVN) – The 2022 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival begins on Friday, November 4. For 10 days, the iconic annual food festival will host live musical entertainment, artisans and crafters, farm tours, and various family activities.

A recent news release from festival organizers focuses on the opening weekend:

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Lantern Parade returns to Historic Kailua Village and kicks off the 2022 Festival. Starting at 2 pm on November 4, Hale Halawai in Historic Kailua Village is the place to be with craft vendors, family friendly activities and yummy food from a variety of food trucks. Grab a late lunch or an early dinner, spread out on the grassy shoreline and enjoy the tastes and activities of First Friday.

As the sun starts to set, the Lantern Parade begins to light up. Festival goers make their way to the best seats along the Alii Drive parade route. Some of the best seats are along the seawall. With its glowing procession of light, music and color, the Festival’s Lantern Parade culminates with an evening of song and dance back at Hale Halawai.

Be sure to add the Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll to your list of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival must dos! Happening on Saturday, November 5 from 9 am to 3 pm, Historic Holualoa Village rolls out the welcome mat, with art galleries and shops that have made their home here in this quaint village with its roots in coffee.

New this year, the UCC Hawaii Kōnane Challenge, a game that can be learned in minutes but may take a lifetime to master. The challenge happens on Sunday, November 6 starting at 3 pm at the UCC Hawaii Kona Coffee Estate in Holualoa. Also on Sunday, the KTA Super Store Recipe Contest returns to Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa and opens its doors at 11 am. The tasty Big Island Showcase, featuring local farm and artisan booths gets started at 10 am.

Kona coffee farms are in full harvest production during the Festival. Don’t miss a chance to tour a Kona coffee farm. Greenwell Farms and UCC Hawaii Kona Coffee Estate give an insider’s look at growing this world-famous crop.

Scholarship competitions heat up on Opening Weekend. The coveted UCC Hawaii Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Competition gets underway Saturday, 11/5 with doors opening at 5:30. This is a ticketed event and can be purchased at apachawaii.org.

On Sunday, November 6, the Little Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Competition features Hawaii Island young ladies ages 4 through 17 years of age. Tickets can be purchased from apachawaii.org.

Be sure to shop during the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival for great merchandise including buttons, cookbooks, t-shirts, hats and coffee and beverage cups. There’s lots of great gift ideas ahead of the holiday season.

With many family friendly events packed into 10 days, visit konacoffeefest.com to find a complete schedule or pick up a Festival magazine around Historic Kailua Village.

Check out Facebook (@konacoffeefest), Instagram (@konacoffeefest), Twitter (@konacoffeefest), and YouTube (@konacoffeeculturalfestival).

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is made possible through the support of Hawaii Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program and the generous sponsorship of UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Ltd., Kamehameha Schools, Alaska Airlines, Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union and numerous other corporate and community donors.