Kona Brewers Festival celebrates 21 years

The Kona Brewers Festival returns in March with two sessions to fete 21 years of raising funds through the celebration of handcrafted beers and local cuisine in a sustainable community gathering in Kailua-Kona.

Lunch and dinner sessions have been slated from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., respectively, on March 12 at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel luau grounds. Tickets are $70 and include a commemorative mug, seven brew tasting coupons, unlimited sampling of gourmet cuisine and entertainment. They go on sale 11 a.m. Jan. 30. A $5 fee is assessed for tickets purchased online.

The festival indulges craft beer aficionados with 72 selections of ales and lagers served up with a wide variety of island-style cuisine from 36 Hawaii chefs. Breweries from Hawaii and the mainland U.S. will each offer two types of craft brews. Live music and entertainment include the must-see Trash Fashion Show, a performance that highlights creative fashions made entirely from recycled material.

The Kona Brewers Festival Homebrew Competition, a local event sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association, will also be held during the event. Links to information and entry forms will become available on the festival’s website.

Preceding the main event sessions is the Run for the Hops 5K/10K at 7:30 a.m. March 12. Presented by Bike Works and benefiting Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, the run begins and ends at BMW of Hawaii. The $30 entry fee includes a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments, award ceremony and beer tasting following the race.

The Kona Brewers Festival has raised awareness, visibility and $850,000 for over 40 nonprofit and community organizations supporting Hawaii’s youth, environmental conservation and cultural traditions since its inception more than two decades ago.

Info: www.KonaBrewersFestival.com.