What is not to love about a two day chocolate extravaganza? This annual event is a fundraiser benefiting local non-profits and Hawaii Island cacao farmers headquartered at the Westin Hapuna but with events up and down the Kohala Coast. There are fun, interactive and engaging seminars, demonstrations, and classes all leading up to the fundraising gala and silent auction. Don’t miss the guided tour of a cacao plantation and the chef cooking competition!

This grandiose festival takes place over three weekends on multiple islands to celebrate over 150 talented chefs from across the world. The festival’s mission is to “reignite a love of the land, looking back to a time when Hawaii was 100% sustainable”. This festival is filled with culture, arts, and delicious global cuisine and is a must do for foodies across the islands.

This annual Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival is a 3-day event full of fun activities, events, hula, and other experiences that help guests enhance their understanding of the Pacific & Asian cultural heritage. Don’t miss the Pacific & Asia Marketplace, the culinary event “Taste of Pacific & Asia”, Haku Lei Workshop, and the Hula & Fire Knife Dancing.

While not necessarily a festival, the World Championship Ironman Competition is surely a Big Island event to know about! Held on the Kona Coast, athletes complete a grueling trio of swimming, biking, and running with the beginning and end taking place right in the Kailua Pier.

A celebration put on by Kona Brewery with handcrafted brews and local cuisine aimed at raising funds for nonprofit organizations that contribute to environmental conservation. The festival includes a Run for Hops 5K and a Home Brewer’s Competition.

Kona Coffee has been celebrated for nearly 200 years and this 10-day festival is a product of the admiration and love that people have for coffee grown on Big Island. The annual festival began in 1970 and is held every November as a way to preserve, share, enrich, and celebrate the world-renowned Kona Coffee. From cupping competitions, cultural farm immersion trips, to the Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Competition – this festival is packed with events to keep residents and visitors buzzing all ten days!

An annual week-long festival honoring the legacy of King David Kalakaua through hula and cultural experiences. King Kalakaua was a patron of the arts, especially music and dance and was known as “Merrie Monarch” for his fun-loving ways. Founded in 1964 as a way to help a struggling economy after a devastating struggling economy and the decline of sugar plantations. The events include an internationally acclaimed hula competition and a unique Hawaiian art fair, and more.

This festival brings together over 60 films and a unique mix of presentations, speakers, and discussions around ocean experience, ocean environment and island culture for a rich and educational multi-day experience. Located in some of the island’s most stunning locations such as the Four Seasons, Fairmont Orchid, Mauna Kea Resort, and the charming town of Waimea.