MEDIA RELEASE

Festivities are underway as the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival themed “Celebrating 40 Years of Kona Coffee Heritage” Nov. 5-14, 2010 features 10 days of festivities that honor pioneers, farmers and artisans and coffee.

The annual Kona coffee harvest, one of the Big Island’s most economically successful crops, is celebrated every November at the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. This 10-day Festival with nearly 50 events honors the multi-ethnic heritage of Kona’s coffee pioneers and their gourmet brews.

The Festival combines the modern day infatuation with coffee with the industry’s old-world history as visitors, residents and farmers gather together to salute Kona coffee.

There’s something for everyone at the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival including the highly anticipated Kona coffee cupping competition, Kona coffee recipe contest, the Miss Kona coffee pageant, coffee picking contest, colorful parades and a collection of food, music, dance, arts and crafts from Kona’s diverse ethnic heritage.

Visitors can take tours of working and historical Kona coffee farms, mills and roasting operations or shop at a farmer’s market for their favorite Kona estate roast and other Kona coffee infused products.

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is recognized and supported as a ‘Major Festival’ by Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) as the Festival showcases Hawaii’s unique culture and diversity. HTA was created in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage the growth of Hawaii’s visitor industry in a manner consistent with its economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources and community interests.

The 40th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates its 182-year coffee tradition from Nov. 5-14. For event information, visit www.konacoffeefest.com