Hilton Waikoloa Village to Host 5th Annual Hawaii’s Big Island Festival

Once again the Hilton Waikoloa Village® will host of the 5th Annual Hawaii’s Big Island Festival November 17 to 19, 2006. This three-day food and wine extravaganza features "The Best of the Big Island" with culinary creations, world-class wines and exotic cocktails, fine art, cultural demonstrations, prestigious spa and golf opportunities, a benefit silent auction for the Keck Observatory and Kealakehe Intermediate Ukulele Ensemble & Chorus, and more.

If you're on the Big Island next week, be sure to catch some of this great event. You may even see Teresa Plowright, About's Guide to Travel with Kids who will be attending this year's festival.

The 62-acre award-winning oceanfront resort has announced a special Platinum Pass Room and Ticket Package for the event. As you may know, I attended the event in 2005 and you can read my review of the 2005 Big Island Festival to get a better feel for the event. Read on for details of the 2006 event and package being offered by the Hilton Waikoloa Village®.

Big Island Festival Platinum Pass Room & Ticket Package

Rates start from $479 plus tax per night, double occupancy, for a garden view room. A three-night minimum stay is required. Package rates include:

• Accommodations for the nights of Thursday, November 16; Friday, November 17; and Saturday, November 18.
  
  
• Two tickets to the Grand Wine Tasting & Artists' Reception: "Wonderful Whites, Remarkable Reds" on Friday, November 17 from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Two tickets to the Paniolo Cookout on Friday, November 17, at Lagoon Grill from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  
  
• Two tickets to Wine Seminar 1 and Wine Seminar 2 with wine diva Christine Ansbacher and world-class sommelier Robert Viernes on Saturday, November 18 from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  
  
• Two tickets to the Final Gala Dinner, "The BIG Taste," on Saturday, November 18 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  
  
• Two tickets to the Cocktail Seminar with Tony Abou-Ganim on Sunday, November 19 from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  
  
• Two tickets to the "Eat Right" Kohala Spa Cuisine Luncheon with Christine Ansbacher on Sunday, November 19 from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

To purchase the package, call the hotel direct at 808-886-1234 and ask for room reservations, package code BIP. Package is based on availability, and a 72-hour cancellation is required.

The Hawaii’s Big Island Festival Event Schedule

Friday, November 17, 2006

• Golf Passport (11/16 - 11/21)
  Discounts at five courses: Waikoloa Beach Course, Waikoloa Kings’ Golf Course, Hapuna Golf Course, and Mauna Lani North & South Golf Courses
  
  
• Spa Passport (11/17 only)
  Mini-treatments, spa tour, and gift from the Kohala Spa, Hilton Waikoloa Village; Mauna Lani Spa, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows; and Mandara Spa, Waikoloa Beach Marriott. Guests also receive a twenty percent discount on services at Kohala Sports Club & Spa throughout the Big Island Festival.
  
  
• New Waves at NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii) Luncheon and Tour
  Join a fascinating tour of the state-of-the-art aquaculture facility on the Kohala Coast, and learn how Big Island gourmet seafood is grown and harvested. Local chefs then prepare an exclusive luncheon featuring fresh seafood products of NELHA.10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  
  
• Grand Wine Tasting & Artists’ Reception: "Wonderful Whites, Remarkable Reds"
  Located at The Gallery- Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island artists and their masterpieces will be featured, and guests will discover and taste fine vintage wines. 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Chef and Winemaker Dinner
  Taste an assortment of world-class wines paired with a multi-course meal of culinary creations highlighted with fresh Big Island ingredients and flavors of the island.
  
  
• Paniolo Cookout
  Learn about old Hawaii through storytelling from authentic Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) at Lagoon Grill. Enjoy live entertainment and feast on delectable Hawaiian specialties. Food Network’s Laura McIntosh will be featured as she films a segment of "Bringing it Home with Laura McIntosh," and country superstar Dwight Yoakam will make a guest appearance. 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

• Festival Pavilion
  Displays encompassing "The Best of the Big Island" fine arts, local agriculture, gourmet foods, and exclusive Hawaii-made products with live entertainment. 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  
  
• Wine Seminars and Tastings
  Attend the innovative seminar "Old World versus New World Wines" with Christine Ansbacher, "The Wine Diva," or discover "Back to Basics" with Robert Viernes. Guests will experience and learn about a collection of wines from some of the world’s most respected sommeliers. Wine Seminar One: 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wine Seminar Two: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  
  
• Final Gala Dinner, "The BIG Taste"
  The festival’s closing dinner takes place on the Lagoon Lanai and in the Water’s Edge Ballroom and features specialties from over twenty Hawaii top chefs, wine pairings, live entertainment, dancing, and a silent auction designed to benefit the Keck Observatory and the Kealakehe Intermediate Ukulele Ensemble & Chorus. Celebrity guests include cocktail master Tony Abou-Ganim, "The Wine Dive" Christine Ansbacher, and Laura McIntosh as she films a segment for Food Network’s "Bringing it Home with Laura McIntosh." 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  
  
• After Party, "Meet the Chefs" at Malolo Lounge

Sunday, November 19, 2006

• Cocktail Seminar
  Learn how to create signature cocktails as well as new, exciting drinks with island flair with renowned cocktail artist Tony Abou-Ganim from Las Vegas. 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  
  
• "Eat Right" Kohala Spa Cuisine Luncheon
  An exclusive "Eat Right" lecture with "The Wine Diva" Christine Ansbacher touching on the health benefits of wine during a healthy, gourmet luncheon complete with organic wine pairings. 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

The Festival backdrop is the Kohala Coast, a twenty-mile stretch of shore on the leeward side of the Island of Hawaii. Just twenty minutes north of the Kona International Airport, the Kohala Coast features master planned resort communities and luxury hotels - emerald oases bordered by the Pacific Ocean and ancient lava flows, lying in the shadow of volcanic peaks. There couldn’t be a better panorama for a tropical food and wine adventure.

To purchase tickets or for more information about Hawaii’s Big Island Festival and a detailed schedule of events, visit www.bigislandfestival.com. To request a brochure or register by phone call 1-866-424-FEST (3378, toll-free) or, in Hawaii, 808-934-9044. For guest room information call a preferred travel planner, 1-800-HILTONS or Hilton Waikoloa Village direct at 808-886-1234. Be sure to ask about the Platinum Pass. Again, for a better feel for what the event offers, read my review of the 2005 Big Island Festival.

Big Island Festival Photos by John Fischer