Enjoy the Art of Hula at the Merrie Monarch Festival
Visiting Hilo during the annual Merrie Monarch Festival is a wonderful opportunity to explore and enjoy traditional Hawaiian hula, arts and crafts, music, and fun local events.
Attend the Kona Brewers Festival
Big Island Guide Travel Guide
Overview of the Kona Brewers Festival
NOTICE: the 2020 Kona Brew Fest has been postponed due to Coronavirus Concerns – check their website for details.
Each March, the Kona Brewers Festival celebrates the birthday of Kona Brewing Company with a festival at the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Beach Hotel in historic Kailua-Kona Village, extending the company’s values toward community collaboration, sustainability, and responsible environmental uses to the public in a one day charitable event. The 2020 event will be held on Saturday March 14th from 3 pm to 7 pm for standard ticket holders (opening at 2 for the upgraded Connoisseur’s Lounge tickets).
Despite the umbrella of the state’s largest craft brewing company, the festival brings in incredible brews from across the country and even includes a homebrew competition from amateur brewers located in the United States and the Pacific Islands.
Sponsorships and Fun Run
Sponsored by the Bill Healy Foundation, the event has raised nearly a million dollars for non-profit organizations supporting Hawaiian youth, culture, and environmental causes. In addition to the tasting event, the festival promotes a charitable 5k/10k fun run and walk organized by and for the benefit of Peoples Advocacy for Trailers Hawaii (PATH). Runners receive a T-shirt, participate in an awards ceremony, private beer tasting, and a picnic to cap off the morning run before the brew fest kicks off in earnest.
Event Dining and Beverages
Unlike many other beer festivals, Kona Brewers Festival takes tremendous pride in offering the best local cuisine possible. With more than 36 chefs from the Big Island’s finest eating establishments, brew fans can enjoy fresh-caught fish, barbecue, local delicacies of every kind, and plenty of tasty desserts and snacks throughout the event. Your event ticket comes with ten 4 ounce tasting coupons so you can sample a good variety of beers on tap at the event.
Kona Brew Fest Tickets
The largest brew festival on the Big Island, a standard ticket to this memorable one-day event is $85, but the value awarded to attendees and the charitable funds raised during the event should help the upfront costs go down like a smooth lager on a hot day. There is also an upgraded experience offering admittance to a special Connoisseur’s Lounge. These tickets will cost you $185 but allow you access to special beer and food pairings, entertainment, air conditioned seating, educational talks by brewers, and access to move between the Lounge and general areas. There are only 200 of these upgraded tickets available so get them early. Tickets go on sale January 11th.
For tickets and more information about the annual Kona Brewers Festival, visit this page or contact the organizers. Please note that no one under 21 years of age will be admitted, including children with their parents.
