Hawaii Food & Wine Festival – Tickets Now Available

One of the most prestigious epicurean events in the Pacific kicks off right here on the Big Island on Aug. 29.

Tickets are now available for the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, a seven-day long island-hopping event featuring dozens of renowned chefs from around the world.

The festival officially gets under way at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa with a six-course gala event.

Chefs Marcel Vigneron and Sheldon Simeon (Top Chef) will be cooking alongside Chefs Charles Charbonneau and Jayson Kanekoa (Hilton Waikoloa and Waikoloa Beach, respectively), along with Mark Pomaski (Full Moon Café, Hilo), Chef Jean Louis (Lincoln Restaurant, Portland) and Sherry Yard (Helms Bakery, Los Angeles).

Vigneron, who competed as a finalist on the Big Island during the second season of “Top Chef,” has described his time spent in Hawai`i as a learning experience, stating “the local ingredients offer so many perspectives for me, from learning how to cook Moi, to hand pounding of Pa`i`ai…”

Sheldon Simeon will join fellow Top Chef contestant Marcel Vigneron at the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. Courtesy image.

The Hawai`i Food and Wine Festival was founded by chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, and features tasting events, cooking demonstrations, and culinary excursions across the state of Hawai`i.

Tickets for the six-course gala are $250 per person, and can be purchased at the festival’s website. VIP tickets are also available for $500, and include a “meet and greet” with the chefs, a cocktail & pupus reception, and preferred seating.

The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is offering $150 per night specials for the event (phone: 800-228-9290), while the Hilton Waikoloa Village is offering a Kama`aina special for $139 per night for stays of three nights or more (phone: 808-886-1234, request code K3N or KAM).