Kona Brewers Festival under way this weekend on Big Island

Enjoy a good pau hana beer? The Big Island is the place to be this weekend.

The 17th annual Kona Brewers Festival will be tapping up 70 types of ales and lagers to be served alongside both savory and sweet Island-style eats. The fest’s main event is slated for 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at the luau grounds at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona.

Launched in 1996 to mark the opening of the first Kona Brewing Co. restaurant, the all-outdoors fest is now a much larger celebration of Hawaii’s ongoing microbrewery revolution.

This year’s event will feature 35 breweries from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland, with each tapping up two types of beer representing varied styles and flavors. Also, chefs from 30 of the Big Island’s top restaurants will serve dishes ranging from fresh fish and barbecued meats to desserts.

The event’s festivities will get under way with hula and oli (chant). Throughout the afternoon a performance stage will spotlight live music. In addition, the annual Trash Fashion Show, designed to raise awareness of the importance of recycling, will showcase whimsical attire made entirely from recycled material.

For more information about the event —presented by Sunetric, Keauhou Veterinary Hospital and First Hawaiian Bank — click here. Other festival events slated for the weekend range from a Run for the Hops 5K/10K race to the Kona Brewers Festival Homebrew Competition. 

The Kona Brewers Festival is a community fundraising effort for environmental, educational and cultural organizations. It has raised $475,000 over the past 16 years. For additional information, click here or call 808-987-9196.