This October, the iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is hosting the 13th annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival (HFWF) for a two-day epicurean adventure, celebrating Indigenous Cuisines from around the world.
On Friday, October 20, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will kick off the festival’s “Indigenous World Cuisines” event with a walk-around grand tasting in which guests will embark on a culinary journey and explore the diverse flavors, rich history, and cultural traditions of indigenous communities from around the world.
The evening will feature a selection of ten renowned chefs—from the Turtle Island tribes such as Oglala Lakota, Kickapoo, and Puyallup, as well as nations in the Caribbean and Pacific, including Maori, Samoan, and Hawaiian. Each chef will showcase dishes unique to their heritage that celebrate indigenous ingredients and cooking traditions. Guests will also enjoy wines, craft cocktails and brews.
On Saturday, October 21, guests are invited to attend an Indigenous Food Culture Panel at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, where esteemed industry experts will engage in though-provoking discussions on the significance of indigenous food culture and its impact on communities.
Panelists and Chefs will include Kanaka Maoli, cultural practitioner; community leader Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu; Native Hawaiian chef Kealoha Domingo; Maori Chef Monique Fiso; Sean Sherman of the Oglala Lakota Nation; and Crystal Wahpepah of the Kickapoo Nation.
Maui Events Postponed
The recent wildfires affecting West Maui have been devastating for all of us and our hearts go out to all that have been impacted by this disaster. Governor Josh Green recently issued Governor’s Emergency Proclamation VI which strongly discourages non-essential travel to West Maui from August 17-October 17, 2023. In light of this and the ongoing recovery efforts, the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival® will postpone the October 13-15, 2023 events in Kāʻanapali, Maui to the Spring 2024.
The Festival is committed to supporting Maui’s recovery and its partners the Kāʻanapali Beach Resort Association, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Kaʻanapali. As part of our ongoing efforts to aid the West Maui community, we are continuing to raise funds for displaced restaurant, bar and hospitality workers through the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund which has raised $250,000+ to date.
Existing ticket holders for the Kāʻanapali, Maui events are being offered four options for their tickets. This includes:
- Request a full refund for your ticket(s)
- Donate your ticket(s) to the Maui Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund—providing immediate assistance to the restaurant, bar and hospitality workers of West Maui
- Transfer your ticket(s) to the postponed Kāʻanapali Spring 2024 event (exact date TBD)
- Apply the cost of your ticket(s) to another event in the HFWF23 schedule of events