Hawaii Food & Wine Festival 2025: All the Details

group of women holding out wine glasses while someone pours them wine

This year at Hawaiian Airlines Presents Decanted, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival’s signature wine event, 20 winemakers, sommeliers and wine professionals will be pouring wine alongside 17 of the countryʻs top chefs. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

It’s that time of year again, when over 100 culinary, wine and cocktail professionals gather across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu for Hawaiʻi’s largest food festival.

This year marks the 15th annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival (HFWF), an event dedicated to supporting local agriculture, growing the hospitality industry and positioning Hawaiʻi as a world-class culinary destination.

The theme of this year’s festival is FEAST — an acronym for Food, Education, Agriculture, Sustainability and Tourism. Events will explore the connection between these sectors, highlighting each as a foundational pillar of the festival.

Ready to learn something new, get inspired and eat and drink your way through Hawaiʻi? Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

When is this year’s Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

HFWF spans three weekends from October 17 to November 2, across three islands—Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Oʻahu.

Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island – Oct. 17-18

Kāʻanapali, Maui – Oct. 24-26

Honolulu, Oʻahu Oct. 30-Nov. 2

Hawaii Food & Wine Festival outside event at Sheraton Resort on Maui

According to HFWF, event proceeds have contributed over $5 million over the past 15 years to culinary education, agriculture and sustainability initiatives in Hawaiʻi, as well as supporting hospitality workers during times of need. Courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. Photo by Keoni Fernandez.

Where is the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival held?

Prepare to be wined and dined in multiple destinations across Hawaiʻi. Here are the event locations by island:

Hawaiʻi Island: Mauna Kea Golf Course and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Maui: Kāʻanapali Golf Course, Roy’s Kaanapali, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows.

Oʻahu: ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach, Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa and Halekulani Hotel.

How do I buy tickets for the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

Tickets are sold by event. Visit the link below and select the event you are interested in attending to purchase tickets for that event.

Hawaii Food & Wine Festival tickets

Last year's event at Lahaina Resort & Bungalows featured BBQ. This year's theme will be Southern-style seafood hosted by Aaron Sanchez. Courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. Photo by Keoni Fernandez.

Last year’s event at Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows featured BBQ. This year’s theme will be Southern-style seafood hosted by chef Aarón Sánchez. Courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. Photo by Keoni Fernandez.

How much are tickets for Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

The cost of tickets for HFWF varies by event. See our list of scheduled events below to find out how much each one costs.

Who are the chefs at Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

This year’s culinary lineup consists of over 100 world-renowned chefs and culinary leaders, including Aarón Sánchez, Chris Cosentino, Andrew Le, Robynne Maii, Masaharu Morimoto, Sheldon Simeon, Nancy Silverton and Marcel Vigneron. Additionally, Master sommeliers Chris Ramelb and Chuck Furuya will be pouring some of their favorite wines and local mixologists will be shaking up their latest cocktails.

Chefs, Sommeliers, Mixologists and Speakers Lineup

chefs at event at hawaii food and wine festival hawaii island

Over 100 world-renowned chefs gather each year for HFWF. Pictured here is James Beard Award-winning chef Robynne Maiʻi and crew last year on Hawaiʻi Island. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

Can kids attend the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

Guests must be 21 years or older to attend HFWF events. There are no children of any age permitted.

What should I wear to the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

It depends, some events are walk-around tastings, while others are sit down brunches and gala dinners. There are both casual events held in the afternoon and evening events with opportunities to dress up. See our list of scheduled events below with dress codes.

34 mixologists from across the country will join this year’s HFWF roster. Pictured here is Kuulei Akuna, mixologist and co-owner of Lady Elaine and Little Plum, last year on Oʻahu.

What are the best events at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

Highlights this year include a tribute to the late Chef Charles Phan – a pioneer of modern Vietnamese cuisine and a Southern-style seafood brunch hosted by celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez. This is also the first year HFWF will be offering a one-day conference for industry professionals with 56 top thought leaders across all sectors of the hospitality, agriculture and culinary industries.

Who hosts the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival?

James Beard Award-winning chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong co-founded the The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival® in 2011. HFWF is a program of the Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating world-class culinary events to support culinary education in community colleges and four-year universities in Hawaiʻi. Its mission is to “elevate Hawai‘i’s culinary and agricultural sectors, enriching both the visitor industry and local community.”

HFWF founders Roy and Denise Yamaguchi and Alan Wong. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

HFWF founders Roy and Denise Yamaguchi and Alan Wong at last year’s pickleball tournament. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

Where do the proceeds from the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival go?

Proceeds from HFWF help to fund culinary scholarships, hands-on training programs and sustainable agricultural initiatives that connect students with local farmers. Last month, The Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance – the parent organization of HFWF – announced it awarded $143,805 in proceeds from HFWF “to support culinary, agricultural and community organizations across the state” bringing its total investment to over $5 million since the festival launched in 2011.

According to an August press release, in 2024 HFWF supported the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges Culinary Programs at six campuses across the state, Imua Family Services, the Maui County Farm Bureau, the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, the James Beard Foundation, Central Kitchen, the Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship, the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center’s ‘Āina to Mākeke program, CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund and Kōkua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund.

Do the chefs at Hawaii Food & Wine Festival use local ingredients?

Yes, all chefs are provided access to local ingredients to use in their dishes for each event. This year HFWF, in collaboration with ‘Ōuli Farms, also introduced its new Chefʻs Garden on Hawaiʻi Island—a seed-to-table initiative which will also provide ingredients for events. ʻŌuli Farms’ grows over 1,077 organic plants, has planted 325 trees for reforestation efforts and has donated over 6,000 pounds of fresh produce to the community since its inception.

Chefs participating in the Chefʻs Garden initiative include:

• Peter Abarcar, Jr., Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

• Allen Hess, FORC

• Brian Hirata, Na‘au Hilo

• Jayson Kanekoa, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

• Roy Yamaguchi, Roy Yamaguchi Group of Restaurants

Chef and farmer on a farm in front of taro plant.

HFWF partnered with ʻŌuli Farms this year as a commitment to responsible land stewardship. The “Chef’s Garden” is the vision of five of Hawai‘i’s top chefs. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.