Dining With the Chefs at the Fairmont Orchid Saturday

Christmas at The Fairmont — Dining with the Chefs, a culinary arts showcase, will be held Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fairmont Orchid Resort in Waikoloa.

The event, which is in its 24th year, features the food of local chefs, live entertainment, and a live and silent auction. The evening kicks off with the lighting of the Fairmont Orchid’s coconut Christmas tree.

A gingerbread house competition will also take place during the evening. This year’s gingerbread display will have a vintage Hawaiian look.

Attendees can vote for their favorite specially crafted gingerbread houses; created by local culinary students under the direction of pastry instructor Fernand Guiot.

Presented by the American Culinary Federation Kona Kohala Chefs Association, the event is a fundraiser for local culinary scholarships and the “Equip the Kitchens” campaign for the future Hawaii Community College-Palamanui campus.

Dining with the Chefs features the work of 20 top local chefs who will prepare entrees and desserts.

“Our local chefs pull out all the stops at this event and prepare spectacular culinary offerings,” says Devin Lowder, Kona Kohala Chefs president.

“Each one tries to outdo the other in taste and presentation. It’s a holiday for the tastebuds.”

Participating chefs include: Hubert Des Marais of the Fairmont Orchid, Peter Pahk of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Clayton Arakawa of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, and James Babian of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Additional participating chefs include David Abrahams of Red Water Café, Stennis Hirayama of Tommy Bahama’s, Ken Schloss of Huggo’s, Nancy Edney of Tropical Dreams Ice Cream, and Cathy Smoot Barrett of Kailua Candy Company — to name a few.

The chefs use primarily locally sourced ingredients to prepare the cuisine, which will be accompanied by handcrafted ales, wines, and 100% Kona coffee.

The Kohala Quartet will provide live jazz music throughout the evening.

The fundraising event will include a live auction where guest can bid on exclusive private dinner parties and receptions presented by local chefs, as well as luxury hotel accommodations.

A silent auction will also be held featuring local products, activities, and dining opportunities.

Ticket prices are $85 and can be purchased online at www.konakohalachefs.org.

Tickets are also available at Kona Wine Market, Clark Realty/Kona, and Kailua Candy Company in Kailua-Kona.

The Fairmont Orchid Resort is offering special room rates for the event. Call hotel reservations for details at 885-2000 or 1-800-845-9905 and mention “Christmas at The Fairmont.”

Call 329-2522 for more info on Dining with the Chefs or to charge tickets by phone.