MEDIA RELEASE

The Holualoa Village Association presents its 1st annual “Summer Farmfest & Ukulele Jam” is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 

More than one dozen of the upcountry town’s historic buildings will be hosting farmers and their home-grown products along the half-mile stretch of Mamalahoa Highway from Pacific Island Design to the Ipu Hale Gallery. Also featured will be ukulele concerts at the pink Kona Hotel, post office and on the lawn of Living Hope Church.

The Holuakoa Gardens & Cafe will be the busiest venue, with a petting zoo of baby farm animals, oven-fresh bakery products and samples of the restaurant’s fare including grilled meats, local fruits and vegetables. Their newly expanded Farmer’s Market will have displays by vendors that supply the island grown organic produce featured on their menu. 

Samples and items for sale will be offered by Chez Marquis Farm, Holualoa Organics, Ron Thompson, No Ka Oi Farm, Big Island Jacaranda Farm, Kula Manu Farm and Capt’s Ohana Farm. Products will range from pickled beets to jams, jelles, turnips, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, lettuces and regular, brown and green eggs. Waiaha Farm will conduct cheese making demonstrations throughout the day.

The Ipu Hale Gallery will host Paradise Meadows Orchard & Bee Farm’s lemons, avocados and honey alongside Hubbard’s Cupboard and their lilikoi wine, mead, jam and jellies. Across the highway, Divine Goods will offer shave ice and produce from Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens.

Garden fresh papaya and pasta salads will be featured, along with the island juices, by Lilikoi Inn in front of the historic Kona Hotel. Kona coffee samples will be available at Ferrari Coffee and at Dinah’s Hairstyling. 

Dinah’s will also have locally grown vegetables and fresh flowers on sale. 

The Kona Blue Sky Coffee farm at the top of Hualalai Road will be serving samples of its custom roasted coffee and will offer tours Saturday, as well.

There will be Kona coffee seedings and herbs from Shangri-La on sale and free copies of the latest Ke Ola magazine on the lanai of Paul’s Place general store in the heart of the village. Across the street, the Holualoa Gallery will feature artist/photographer Mary Lovein doing personal signings of her recent “Chameleons in the Garden” book.

Studio 7 will have information and products from the Holualoa Foundation for Arts & Culture   and Pulama Ia Kona, including book sales of “Mamalahoa Hwy, Traveling Kona Heritage Corridor.”

On the lanai of Cliff Johns Gallery, the Original Hawaiian Chocloate Factory will serve samples of their chocolate which should satisfy those with a sweet tooth. They will be joined on the lanai by Cliff and Gregg Smith, who will also be doing bowl turning and Ed Kaneko will be teaching the art of lauhala weaving.

Following the theme of the Saturday event, the Shelly Maudsley White Gallery will have farm animal prints on sale and Dovetail Gallery will offer honey and beeswax candles from Big Island Bees.

The ukulele portion of the “Summer Farmfest & Ukulele Jam” will highlight performances by Meleohana on the front lanai of the Inaba’s Kona Hotel at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., guitar and ukulele stylings of Bolomusic on the lawn of the Living Hope Church at 10 a.m. and noon and Na Kupuna O Kona Alii on the stage next to the post office at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. 

The Holualoa Ukulele Gallery will host Big Island Ukulele Guild members and their demonstrations of ukulele making in front of the village’s original Post Office building.

Visitors to the day’s event are encouraged to bring their own ukes and join in the fun, as well as shopping bags to carry home the fresh produce being offered by local farmers during the celebration of island foods and music.

— Find out more:

www.holualoahawaii.com