The 2012 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will take place from November 2-11, 2012 at various locations around Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island. Now is the time to plan your Big Island visit to share in this one-of-a-kind annual festival.
My wife and I attended a full week of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in 2008 and had one of our best weeks ever in Hawaii. Even if, like us, you're not a coffee drinker, there are plenty of activities that are just plain fun. If you are a coffee drinker and especially if you're a fan of Kona Coffee, this festival is your Nirvana.
Beginning with the beautiful International Lantern Parade on the opening Friday and concluding with the Kamehameha Schools Kona Coffee Grand Parade and Sunra Kona Coffee Concert in the Park the following weekend, there were non-stop activities throughout the week.
For my wife and I, the highlights of the festival included the Holualoa Village Kona Coffee Tasting & Art Stroll, the Ueshima Coffee (UCC Hawaii ) Corp. Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Pageant, the Ueshima Coffee (UCC Hawaii ) Corp. Kona Coffee Picking Contest, the Kona Coffee Living History Farm Tour and the Kona Coffee Council Farm & Mill Tour. There were so many activities to choose from that we had to make some difficult choices since we also wanted some time to explore other areas of the Big Island.
In 2008, the Keauhou Beach Resort was the official host hotel for the festival. It is one of my favorite properties in all of Hawaii. If you want to find out more about the resort, you can read my full review and view a gallery of photos of the property.
In this feature, we'll preview the 2012 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival and then share some of our experiences from 2008 festival events many of which will also be offered in 2012.
