image from a previous Taste of Hilo video on the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawai‘i YouTube channel.

(BIVN) – The 26th annual “A Taste of Hilo” will return to Sangha Hall on Sunday, October 27, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Tickets are now on sale for the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawai‘i’s culinary showcase. The event serves as a fundraiser for Hawai‘i Community College. 

From a Hawai‘i Community College news release:

Started in 1998, the annual A Taste of Hilo showcases more than 30 of the island’s top tastemakers and beverage providers. Attendees enjoy sweet and savory delights created by chefs, restaurants, and patisseries, while sampling locally crafted beer, wine, and sake. Participating vendors at this year’s event include Any Kine Wontons, Atebara Chips, Poke Market, Hawai‘i Community College Culinary Arts Program, Islander Sake Brewery Hawaiʻi, Kilauea Lodge & Restaurant, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Co., Sweet Cane Café, Shaka Tea, Volcano Winery, Cupcakes Boom, Tetsumen, and Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water. This year’s featured chef is Hawaii CC’s Culinary program lab manager and lecturer, Tori Hiro, who is herself a graduate of the program.

“Every year, A Taste of Hilo gets better and better,” says event co-chair Jan Abundo. “We have such a talented community of chefs here and it’s great to be able to sample their creations all under one roof. Guests always leave with full stomachs and a smile on their faces!”

Photo courtesy Hawai‘i Community College

As a fundraiser for Hawai‘i Community College, A Taste of Hilo has, over the years, donated proceeds from the event to the college for scholarships, facility improvements, and program development. Culinary students also actively participate by hosting a food station, providing them with hands-on experience in the field.

“Over the last 25 years, The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawai‘i has generously donated over $200,000 to Hawaii Community College for scholarships and program development,” says Hawai’i CC Chancellor Susan Kazama. “This has made such an impact in the lives of our students and also in helping to create the very best educational opportunities to support their career goals.”

A Taste of Hilo’s popular silent auction goes live online from October 21 through October 27. Attendees and supporters can bid on a wide range of items generously donated by local businesses, including rounds of golf, hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, snorkel and zipline tours, and more. Winners can pick up their auction items at the event on October 27.

Mahalo to our generous Sakura sponsors: KTA Super Stores, HFS Federal Credit Union, Sidney Fuke Planning Consultant, Isemoto Contracting Co Ltd, Creative Arts Hawaii, Suisan Company, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union, CU Hawaii FCU, Green Point Nursery, Takamine Construction, and Big Island Countertops. Mahalo also to our Ume sponsors HPM Building Supply and Iris Kuwaye, State Farm; Kiku sponsors Wesley R Segawa & Associates and Mauna Loa; and Bamboo sponsors De Lima’s Plumbing, I. Yamada Furniture Store and Kadota Liquor.

Tickets for the event are available for pre-sale ($75) and can be purchased online at tasteofhilo.org.