Celebrations that define the Big Island year
The granddaddy of endurance events returns to Kona in 2026 as a reunified single-day race for the first time since 2019. Approximately 3,000 athletes swim 2.4 miles in Kailua Bay, bike 112 miles across the lava fields, and run a marathon along Aliʻi Drive. The town transforms into a carnival of determination.
Tip Book accommodations well in advance — the entire Kona coast fills up. Aliʻi Drive is the best spectating spot for the run.
A ten-day celebration of the Kona coffee harvest featuring farm tours, cupping competitions, the Miss Kona Coffee pageant, a community Hoʻolauleʻa (block party), art exhibits, and more. It’s the oldest food festival in Hawaiʻi and a genuine expression of Kona’s agricultural soul.
The Super Bowl of hula. Held in Hilo each spring during the week after Easter, this week-long festival features the world’s most prestigious hula competition, with solo and group performances in both ancient (kahiko) and modern (ʻauana) styles. Tickets sell out months in advance.
Tip Tickets are extremely competitive — enter the lottery early. If you can’t get in, the festival’s arts fair and Hilo-wide celebrations are free and wonderful.
A statewide holiday honoring Kamehameha I, the warrior king who united the Hawaiian islands. On the Big Island, the celebration centers on the original Kamehameha statue in Kapaʻau, where leis drape the figure from outstretched hand to base. Hilo holds a procession on June 11, and Kona’s parade along Aliʻi Drive takes place on a nearby Saturday.
A lively afternoon gathering of craft breweries from across Hawaiʻi and the mainland, paired with food from top Kona restaurants and live music. Proceeds benefit local environmental and community organizations.