List of annual events and festivals on the Big Island of Hawaii. Visit on of these events during your stay to get a unique, fun, and local experience.
Scroll down to festivals & events in:
January:
PGA Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
This event kicks off the PGA Championship Tour every year at the Hualalai Resort Golf Club. For more information call 800-417-2770 or visit their website.
The Waimea Ocean Film Festival
This festival brings together films, filmmakers, speakers, stories, athletes, scientists, artists and culture to the island and coast each year to fulfill the following mission:
“to bring a greater understanding of the ocean environment and island culture, plus build awareness that everything we do on land affects the sea, including the people whose livelihood and subsistence depends on the health of the ocean environment.”
More information on the website.
Kona Annual Surf Film Festival
A local surf film festival showing surf films from around the world. For more info see their website.
February:
Panaewa Stampede Rodeo
Check out rodeo Hawaiian-style at this weekend event featuring an amateur competition between cowboys, cowgirls, keiki and kūpuna. Enjoy paniolo (cowboy) demonstrations, Hawaiian musical entertainment, food and craft booths. For more info call 808-937-1004 or visit their website.
Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival
This popular festival celebrates Japanese traditions and culture and includes cherry blossom viewing, music, demonstrations, exhibits, crafts, entertainment, ethnic foods, a farmers’ market and visiting performers and artisans from Japan. For more info call 808-961-8706 or see the event calendar on facebook.
Panaewa Stampede Rodeo
Check out rodeo Hawaiian-style at this weekend event featuring an amateur competition between cowboys, cowgirls, keiki and kūpuna. Enjoy paniolo (cowboy) demonstrations, Hawaiian musical entertainment, food and craft booths. For more info call 808-937-1004 or visit their website.
South Kona (SOKO) Artists’ Studio Tour
SOKO is a collective of professional artists including painters, potters, photographers, assemblage sculptors, jewelers, printmakers and mosaic artists, who share their work through this annual studio tour.
This is a self-guided tour where each artist’s studio is marked on a map of the Kona and South Kona area. The tour will be held on February 24th & 25th at 12 locations from Keauhou throughout Kona to Captain
Cook.
Read more about this event and see the map at www.sokoartists.com.
March:
Kona Brewers Festival
This zero-waste annual festival promotes craft brewing and microbreweries in Hawaii with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits and community programs. Expect about 30-60 craft beers from Hawaii and the U.S. Mainland, plus gourmet food from dozens of local chefs. Also includes events such as the beloved Trash Fashion Show and Run for the Hops.
See the Kona Brewers Festival website for more information.
The Kona Brewer’s Festival is held right against Kamakahonu Bay in downtown Kona. Image credit: Robert Thomas.
Great Waikoloa Ukulele Festival
Big Island ukulele enthusiasts can strum along and play their part with a great lineup of ukulele masters. Join them for laughter, love and hope. Ukulele give-aways, food booths, ukulele lessons and more. For more info visit their website.
Big Island International Marathon
10.8 mile and 3.1 mile fun runs along the Pacific Ocean, through tropical rainforests, past rushing waterfalls and along black lava beaches to finish at the historic Hilo Bay front in one of the world most scenic marathons! For more info call 808-969-7400 or visit their website.
Lavaman Triathlon Waikoloa
Features a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run. It was voted the Best Post-Race Party in Triathlon! With finish line nutrition, finisher medal, massage provided by Hawaiian School of Massage, live music and prize giveaways. right on Waikoloa Beach. For more info visit their website.
April:
Merrie Monarch Festival
This is the most sought-after event on the Big Island! It is a one week-long hula celebration and competition with festivities including exhibitions, musical entertainment, arts and crafts fairs and the Miss Aloha Hula Competition and kahiko (ancient) and ‘auana (modern) hula competitions.
Most hotels in Hilo and the surroundings will be completely booked weeks in advance so plan ahead if you are interested in seeing world-class hula. For more info call 808-935-9168 or visit the Merrie Monarch website.
Laupehoehoe Music Festival
The annual Laupahoehoe Music Festival hosts an exceptional lineup of Hawaiian entertainers. Grammy recognized rising stars, veteran masters and top local bands come together for a day of nonstop music and hula, island style! Festival food vendors will offer a wide variety of tastes and vegetarian grinds. Local craft vendors will be on site as well. For more info visit their website.
MAMo: Maoil Arts Month
This month long celebration held annually in the month of May celebrates the depth, breadth, and diversity of the Native Hawaiian arts community with a month long of different events including among others exhibits and local art markets! For more info check their website.
Big Island Chocolate Festival
The Big Island Chocolate Festival tries to combine all the best elements of the other chocolate festivals i.e. the chef competition for savory and sweet and People’s Choice, the chocolate symposiums and farm tours, and the live entertainment, into one.
Everyone going will taste 20-25 different samples of savory and sweet chocolate delicacies and you can also enjoy wine, Kona Brewery beer or Island Cuvee sparkling wine. For more info visit their website.
Did you know Hawaii is the only state where cacao can be grown? And that you can visit these farms for tours and tastings? More information: Locally grown and produced chocolate from the Big Island.
May:
Ka’u Coffee Festival
If coffee gets you going, then go to this popular festival celebrating the bean in Hawaii Island’s beautiful Ka’u district. Featuring a Coffee tasting presentation, a Ka’u coffee recipe contest, music, hula, farm tours and many stands offering local food, coffee and crafts!! Entry is free, for more info visit their website.
It is also possible (and a great excursion) to visit some Kona coffee farms yourself. More information: Visit a Kona Coffee farm yourself.
May Day is Lei Day! Festival
This free family event in Hilo is for residents and visitors of all ages to join in the creative and cultural tradition of making and wearing lei, which is deeply rooted in the Hawaiian culture.
The annual event includes a lei contest, lei making demonstrations, hula performances, guided forest tours with cultural protocols for harvesting lei materials, talk story sessions, orchid and native plant sales, and food booths.
For more info visit the Hilo Lei day website.
Hawaiʻi Kuauli Pacific and Asia Festival
3-day festival in Kona created as a celebration of the pacific and asia featuring their cultures through song, dance, fashion and food. Events include a mixture of free and paid presentations of cultural dance expressions, culturally based education programs, food, music, fashion, art and traditional arts & crafts workshops.
More information on the Hawai’i Kuauli website.
Western Week in Honoka’a
Western Week is a celebration of the local paniolo culture and farming heritage of Honoka’a. This is a one-week event including a Western Week Parade, rodeos, a saloon girl contest, the Hamakua Harvest Farm Festival (see next event), and more.
For details see the event website or facebook page.
Annual Farm Festival at Hāmākua Harvest
Hāmākua Harvest organizes farmers markets once a year and celebrates their farm festival once a year. Festivities feature a 35+ vendor farmers’ market and an all-day line-up of entertainment including a hula performance, petting zoo, a silent auction, educational presentations, yard games, keiki activities, and ono food.
Read more about this event on the event website.
Big Island Film Festival (not organized since 2016, future uncertain)
This “Talk Story” film festival is a celebration of independent narrative filmmakers and their short and feature films. It is an international film festival which celebrates narrative filmmakers and narrative films. With three movie venues, food and beverage events, workshops, celebrities, and Hawaiian music and culture, it’s rapidly gaining an international reputation! For more info call 808-883-0394 or visit their website.
June:
Annual Hawai’i Kuauli Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival
The Hawaiʻi Kuauli Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival showcases different cultural presentations to celebrate local cultural practices, such as a hula hoʻike, a fireknife competition, a cook-off, a fashion show, and much more.
Read more on the festival website.
Kamehameha Festival (Hilo) and Parade (Kona)
The Kamehameha Day celebration was first established in 1871 as a national holiday of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i and always takes place on June 11th. Kamehameha Day was created to honor the memory of Kamehameha the Great (c. 1758-1819) who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 to became Hawai‘i’s first King.
The Kamehameha festival in Hilo features features a ho‘olaule‘a with top Hawaii recording artists, hula hālau, various cultural presentations, Hawaiian chant competition, dance of the warrior exhibition, food, and art and crafts booth. For more information call 808-989-4844 or visit their website.
The King Kamehameha Day Celebration Parade in Kona celebrates Hawaiian history with a costumed parade and features food vendors, Hawaiian crafts, and a silent auction. For more information see the King Kamehameha Day Parade website.
Rohto Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
This half ironman triathlon on the Kohala coast is part of the official qualifier series for the Ironman World Championship held on the island in October.
Athletes start the day with a swim in the crystal blue waters of Hapuna Beach State Park along the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. Then they take on the challenging 56 mile bike course on the legendary Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. The day finishes with a 13.1 mile run through paradise. For more info visit their website.
Kona Marathon & Family Fun Runs
An estimated 1,800 runners of all ages and abilities will be competing for prize money, participating for health and enjoyment, and raising money for charity. The start and Finish are at the Keauhou Beach Resort just south of Kailua-Kona and you can compete in a complete marathon, 1/2 marathon, 10k, 5k, and a family run. For more info visit their website.
Hawaii Performing Arts Festival
The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival brings together talented young musicians from Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and Europe to Hawaii Island.
Every year this month-long festival brings between 20 and 30 concerts to the Big Island spread over ~10 venues in Waimea, Hilo, Honoka’a and all along the Kohala coast. Many of the concerts are free to the public.
More information on the Hawaii Performing Arts Website.
July:
Parker Ranch Independence Day Rodeo
See real Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) in action at this rodeo! For info call 808-885-7311 or visit their website.
Hawaiian International Bill-fishing Tournament
This week-long event is know as the “Grandfather of all big game fishing tournaments”!! It has been around more than 50 years now, and was first organized only 2 days after Hawaii officially became a state in 1959. For more info visit their website.
Experience Volcano Village Festival
Next to a gateway to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Village is an artist village and home too many activities and relaxing opportunities. This festival is spread over several locations in the village and showcases music, Hawaiian culture, artists in action, tours, demonstrations, kid and ohana activities, a petting zoo, happy hours, restaurant specials, food trucks, and more.
See the festival website for details.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival
This festival is created to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and promote appreciation of traditional values. Cultural practitioners lead demonstrations and provide hands-on learning opportunities for a wide variety of Hawaiian crafts, games, and foods.
See the event website for more information (but note that the event url changes yearly and we may not have had the time to update to the most current one).
Volcano’s ‘ohi’a lehua half marathon
Run at 4,000 feet in the quaint village of Volcano, just outside of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There are 3 distances: a keiki dash for children, a 5 km run (3.1 miles), and a half marathon. All runs are out and back courses and participants run through the village streets in the lush native rainforest, with the 1/2 Marathon continuing into the upper ranch lands with stunning views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.
More information at the event website.
August:
Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival
This annual event attracts aficionados of this renown tropical mix cocktail from around the world! Bartenders compete for title of Best Mai Tai and a $10,000 cash prize, and you can also enjoy a farmers market, food from Big Island restaurants and live entertainment along with mai tai sampling. For more info visit their website.
September:
Queen Liliuokalani Canoe Race
The Queen Lili’uokalani Long-Distance Canoe Races are the world’s largest outrigger canoe races. The event features single hull, double hull and individual races along with a torchlight parade, dance and luau awards ceremony. For more info call 808-334-9481 or visit their website.
Mealani’s Taste Of Hawaii Range
Over 30 of the state’s top chefs dazzle diners with delectable dishes using grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, goat, mutton and wild boar—plus fresh island fruit and veggies. Attendees looking for culinary adventure can taste and enjoy all the cuts of grass-fed beef—everything from tongue to tail. The event originated in Waimea on the Big Island, where the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) rides the range and greened-over volcanic cinder cones are dotted with grazing cattle. For more info, visit their website.
Big Island Style Slack Key Guitar Festival.
“Slack Key” is the Hawaiian trademark method of tuning and playing the guitar. At this free music festival fifteen of the best slack-key artists from Hawaiʽi and the Big Island will perform. For more info call or visit their website.
He Hali‘a Aloha No Ka Queen Lili‘uokalani Festival
This festival celebrates the birthday of Hawai‘i’s beloved Queen Lili‘uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawai‘i and features Hula performances by worldwide hula hālau (schools). For more info call 808-961-8706.
Annual Parade and Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace.
The tranquil Hāmākua Coast town of Honoka‘a organizes a parade featuring bands, floats, clubs, school groups, performance artists and dancers to honor the United Nations International Peace Day. For more info call 808-640-4602 or visit their website.
Ka’u Coffee Trail Run
This trail run offers moderate to highly-challenging 5K, 10K and 1/2 marathon races through macadamia nut and coffee fields along the beautiful slopes of rural Kaʻu on the southern side of Hawaii Island. The race begins and ends at the Kaʻu Coffee Mill in Pahala (Wood Valley). The course starts with a family-friendly 5K, continues uphill through a moderately-challenging 10K and reaches a 3100-foot elevation in the vigorously-exhilarating Half Marathon.
All proceeds from this event stay in Kaʻu to benefit the Kaʻu community, more information on this website.
October:
Run For the Dry Forest
The annual event is a great way to explore the west coast native dry forests of the Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Forest Reserve. The run takes place on and around Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a, from where you can see (pending good weather) Hualālai, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Kohala.
You can run or walk a 5km course (suitable for most) or run a 10km (an “extreme trail running experience” with 1200 ft elevation gain in the first 3 miles). There is also a free, non-competitive 1/4-mile keiki run; parents are welcome to join the kids. Educational booths and a silent auction with items from local businesses.
Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a is home to several species of endangered birds and many endangered plants, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. Proceeds from the race events contribute to conservation of these species.
More information and registration on the event website.
Hilo Way finding Festival
Are you intrigued by the ancient arts of navigating and way finding that enable the ancient pacific islanders to find their way in thousands of square miles of ocean? This festival celebrates the historic sailing feats of the pacific peoples that used celestial navigation, and is also organized to revive and expand skills and interest in long distance canoe voyaging. Free activities include panel presentations and workshops led by Hawai‘i’s master canoe navigators. For more info call 808-969-9704 or visit their website.
Ironman World Championship.
There is no bigger day for a triathlete than the day of the Ironman World Championship. This is the race that defined the sport as it came of age, and continues to be the defining race for any avid triathlete. It features 2.4 mi. swim, 112 mi. bike and 26.2 mi. run.
Every year, tens-of-thousands of triathletes apply for a place but only 1800 get to participate to get that coveted title: Iron Man! For more info visit their website.
November:
Big Island Farm Fair in Kona
Farm fair to promote and educate the community about Hawaii’s agriculture industry. Includes agriculture displays, country market, ice cold watermelon, a keiki corral, livestock exhibit, and last but not least, a pianolo grill serving local agricultural products such as teriyaki beef & grass fed beefburgers! Kona Fair Website.
Black and White Night
Downtown Hilo’s biggest annual strolling party with numerous live music venues, fashion shows, a treasure hunt through town, free food, author & artist receptions. Everyone dresses in black and white, from shorts and T-shirts to gowns and suits to enter the “Best Dressed Black & White Contest” for cash prizes. For more info call 808-935-8850 or visit their website.
Moku O Keawe International Hula Festival
A multi-day event celebrating hula and the hula arts, this festival features hula hālau (troupes) from Hawaii, Japan and elsewhere competing in kūpuna (senior), kahiko (ancient) and ‘auana (modern) hula divisions. Master instructors teach workshops and cultural classes throughout the event. For more info call 808-886-8822 or visit their facebook page.
Moku O Keawe Kapa Festival
Kapa is the traditional Hawaiian art of bark cloth production and design. The event centers around a three-day kapa workshop for both expert and beginner kapa artists. Hawaiian arts, Hawaiian music, hula performances and food will create a festive atmosphere. Visitors can try their hand at kapa making as well. For info call 808-323-3318.
Kona Palisades Artists’ Studio Tour and Sale
During the annual studio tour organized by the Kona Palisades Artists group you get to meet local artists, see their studio, and perhaps pick up an unique souvenir for your trip home during.
This is a self-guided tour where each artist’s studio is marked on a map. The tour will be held on the Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving. Read more about this event at their facebook page.
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
Since its inception in 1970, the Festival has sought to preserve, perpetuate and promote Kona’s unique 183-year coffee heritage. With nearly 50 events over 10 days there’s something for everyone, from coffee drinkers to connoisseurs to multi-generational families. Festival signature events include a Coffee & Art Stroll, Cupping Competition, Farm & Mill Tours, International Lantern Parade or explore Kona coffee country’s cafe’s, shopping and community with a self-guided driving tour brochure. For more info visit their website.
It is also possible (and a great excursion) to visit some Kona coffee farms yourself. More information: Visit a Kona Coffee farm yourself.
100% Pure Kona Coffee (half) Marathon
This is one for those of you that take their running shoes on holidays! Run the scenic coast of Kailua-Kona down Ali’i Drive to the infamous “Pit” at the “End of the World” in marathon (two loops) and half marathon (one loop) distance. This race is part of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.
More information on the event website.
December:
Paradise Studio Art Tour (Kea‘au)
The Paradise Studio Tour show cases local artists and their studios within Hawaiian Paradise Park, located in Kea‘au on the Big Island of Hawai‘i.
During the (usual) in-person studio tour events, many studios offer additional activities like demonstrations and live music. Please see individual studio listings on the event website for information on such activities (typically updated by mid-October).
Art in Leilani Christmas Market
This is a small market where artist and plant growers from the Leilani neighborhood coming together to offer locally made and grown gifts for the Holiday Season. Local music will be played during the event.
See the event website for up-to-date information about the location and date/time.
Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade
Fun Christmas Parade along Aliʻi Drive in Kailua Kona, held typically during the second week of December. For more details see the event website.