Lāʻau Love Fest set for Saturday at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center
The free community event features free workshop and plant adoptions with several nurseries participating.
The second annual Lāʻau Love Fest will be held Saturday in Kailua‑Kona with free workshops and plant adoptions.
Lāʻau is a Hawaiian word that means a tree, shrub, grass or any plant growing from the earth.
The community event, sponsored by the County of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity & Resilience, will be Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center. The festival is part of an ongoing initiative to encourage residents to grow native, canoe and food plants that support healthy ecosystems and biodiversity while fostering stewardship and resilience.
Last year, in partnership with nine local nurseries, the Lāʻau Love program distributed more than 2,000 plants to community members at five events.
This year’s festival highlights include:
- Free native and canoe plant adoptions while supplies last.
- Free, ʻohana‑friendly kapa (Hawaiian bark) workshops with artist Avalon Paradea.
- Organization resource tables and food vendors.
Each household may adopt two plants, all sourced from local Plant Pono nurseries to ensure they are free of fire ants and other invasive pests.
For registration details and more information, visit https://bit.ly/laaulove, call 808-854-3129, or email OSCER@hawaiicounty.gov.
