By Sarah Burchard
Big Island
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This year at Hawaiian Airlines Presents Decanted, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival’s signature wine event, 20 winemakers, sommeliers and wine professionals will be pouring wine alongside 17 of the countryʻs top chefs. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
It’s that time of year again, when over 100 culinary, wine and cocktail professionals gather across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu for Hawaiʻi’s largest food festival.
This year marks the 15th annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival (HFWF), an event dedicated to supporting local agriculture, growing the hospitality industry and positioning Hawaiʻi as a world-class culinary destination.
The theme of this year’s festival is FEAST — an acronym for Food, Education, Agriculture, Sustainability and Tourism. Events will explore the connection between these sectors, highlighting each as a foundational pillar of the festival.
Ready to learn something new, get inspired and eat and drink your way through Hawaiʻi? Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
HFWF spans three weekends from October 17 to November 2, across three islands—Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Oʻahu.
According to HFWF, event proceeds have contributed over $5 million over the past 15 years to culinary education, agriculture and sustainability initiatives in Hawaiʻi, as well as supporting hospitality workers during times of need. Courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. Photo by Keoni Fernandez.
Prepare to be wined and dined in multiple destinations across Hawaiʻi. Here are the event locations by island:
Hawaiʻi Island: Mauna Kea Golf Course and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Maui: Kāʻanapali Golf Course, Roy’s Kaanapali, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows.
Oʻahu: ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach, Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa and Halekulani Hotel.
Tickets are sold by event. Visit the link below and select the event you are interested in attending to purchase tickets for that event.
Last year’s event at Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows featured BBQ. This year’s theme will be Southern-style seafood hosted by chef Aarón Sánchez. Courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. Photo by Keoni Fernandez.
The cost of tickets for HFWF varies by event. See our list of scheduled events below to find out how much each one costs.
This year’s culinary lineup consists of over 100 world-renowned chefs and culinary leaders, including Aarón Sánchez, Chris Cosentino, Andrew Le, Robynne Maii, Masaharu Morimoto, Sheldon Simeon, Nancy Silverton and Marcel Vigneron. Additionally, Master sommeliers Chris Ramelb and Chuck Furuya will be pouring some of their favorite wines and local mixologists will be shaking up their latest cocktails.
Over 100 world-renowned chefs gather each year for HFWF. Pictured here is James Beard Award-winning chef Robynne Maiʻi and crew last year on Hawaiʻi Island. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
Guests must be 21 years or older to attend HFWF events. There are no children of any age permitted.
It depends, some events are walk-around tastings, while others are sit down brunches and gala dinners. There are both casual events held in the afternoon and evening events with opportunities to dress up. See our list of scheduled events below with dress codes.
34 mixologists from across the country will join this year’s HFWF roster. Pictured here is Kuulei Akuna, mixologist and co-owner of Lady Elaine and Little Plum, last year on Oʻahu.
Highlights this year include a tribute to the late Chef Charles Phan – a pioneer of modern Vietnamese cuisine and a Southern-style seafood brunch hosted by celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez. This is also the first year HFWF will be offering a one-day conference for industry professionals with 56 top thought leaders across all sectors of the hospitality, agriculture and culinary industries.
James Beard Award-winning chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong co-founded the The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival® in 2011. HFWF is a program of the Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating world-class culinary events to support culinary education in community colleges and four-year universities in Hawaiʻi. Its mission is to “elevate Hawai‘i’s culinary and agricultural sectors, enriching both the visitor industry and local community.”
HFWF founders Roy and Denise Yamaguchi and Alan Wong at last year’s pickleball tournament. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
Proceeds from HFWF help to fund culinary scholarships, hands-on training programs and sustainable agricultural initiatives that connect students with local farmers. Last month, The Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance – the parent organization of HFWF – announced it awarded $143,805 in proceeds from HFWF “to support culinary, agricultural and community organizations across the state” bringing its total investment to over $5 million since the festival launched in 2011.
According to an August press release, in 2024 HFWF supported the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges Culinary Programs at six campuses across the state, Imua Family Services, the Maui County Farm Bureau, the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, the James Beard Foundation, Central Kitchen, the Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship, the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center’s ‘Āina to Mākeke program, CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund and Kōkua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund.
Yes, all chefs are provided access to local ingredients to use in their dishes for each event. This year HFWF, in collaboration with ‘Ōuli Farms, also introduced its new Chefʻs Garden on Hawaiʻi Island—a seed-to-table initiative which will also provide ingredients for events. ʻŌuli Farms’ grows over 1,077 organic plants, has planted 325 trees for reforestation efforts and has donated over 6,000 pounds of fresh produce to the community since its inception.
Chefs participating in the Chefʻs Garden initiative include:
• Peter Abarcar, Jr., Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
• Allen Hess, FORC
• Brian Hirata, Na‘au Hilo
• Jayson Kanekoa, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
• Roy Yamaguchi, Roy Yamaguchi Group of Restaurants
HFWF partnered with ʻŌuli Farms this year as a commitment to responsible land stewardship. The “Chef’s Garden” is the vision of five of Hawai‘i’s top chefs. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
Friday, Oct. 17 – First Annual Cuisines of the Sun® Golf Classic Hosted by Alan Wong
Location: Mauna Kea Golf Course
Dress: Golf attire
SOLD OUT
Saturday, Oct. 18 – Cucina: From Mauka to Makai
Location: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Dress: Resort casual (event is outdoors)
Tickets: General admission – SOLD OUT, Priority seating – $400 per person
Friday, Oct. 24 – First Hawaiian Bank Presents 27th Annual Roy Yamaguchi Golf Classic
Location: Kāʻanapali Golf Course
Dress: Golf attire
SOLD OUT
Saturday, Oct. 25 – World of Wagyu, Wine & Whiskey
Location: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Dress: Resort casual (event is outdoors)
SOLD OUT
Sunday, Oct. 26 – Southern Seafood Sunday Hosted by Aarón Sánchez
Location: Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows
Dress: Resort casual (event is outdoors)
Tickets: $125 per person
Thursday, Oct. 30 – Slanted & Phan-tastic: A Celebration of Charles Phan
Location: ʻAlohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
Dress: Resort casual (event is outdoors)
Tickets: General admission – $350 per person, Priority – $400 per person, Cabanas – SOLD OUT
Friday, Oct. 31 – FEAST Summit
Location: Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort
Dress: Business casual
Tickets: $250 per person, Corporate packages are available
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Hawaiian Airlines Presents Decanted
Location: Hawaiʻi Convention Center
Dress: Semi-formal
SOLD OUT
Sunday, Nov. 2 – MatCHA Chai Brunch
Location: Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa
Dress: Brunch chic
Tickets: $125 per person
Sunday, Nov. 2 – Washoku to the World (benefit dinner)
Location: Halekulani Hotel
Dress: Cocktail attire
Tickets: $3000 for 2 people, $15000 for 10 people
Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival tickets
Follow HFWF
Instagram @HIFoodWineFest #HFWF25
Facebook @HawaiiFoodandWineFestival
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