Big Island Chocolate Festival 2027
The Big Island Chocolate Festival is the Big Island's flagship celebration of locally grown cacao, organised by the Kona Cacao Association. The 2027 edition runs for three days, from Thursday April 29 to Saturday May 1, and is hosted at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort at 62-100 Kauna'oa Drive in Waimea, on the Kohala Coast, across from Mauna Kea Resort.
The festival is built around Hawai'i-grown cacao and the people who make chocolate from it. The programme combines farm education with a public celebration: a guided cacao plantation tour on the Thursday, the Chocolate Farmers Market with local makers and island-grown producers on the Friday, a free student chef competition, cacao seminars and farm education sessions, and a full day of chef-led tasting demonstrations featuring sweet and savoury creations from acclaimed pastry chefs.
The showcase finale is Chocolate Royale, the signature fundraising gala with a silent auction, reserved VIP seating and tasting pairings, held on the Saturday evening. The festival raises funds for local culinary programmes and student chefs, and funds community beneficiaries across Hawai'i County each year. Tickets are sold separately for the farmers market, seminars, farm tour, tasting demonstrations and the gala, and the farmers market is free to attend.
The 2027 edition is the first held at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort; earlier editions took place at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
Register for entry or booths
Venue Map and Hotels Around
Waimea - Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Hawaii, United States