Kona Brewers Festival 2026 (31st Annual)

Kona Brewers Festival 2026: An Island Celebration

Kona Brewers Festival 2026 (31st Annual) is confirmed for Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island). This iconic island beer and food festival blends craft brews, chef tastings, live music, and community fundraising, making it one of the most anticipated March events on the Kona Coast.

The Legacy of Kona Brewers Festival

The Kona Brewers Festival is a long-running Hawaiʻi Island tradition that began in 1996, built around craft breweries and island chefs showcasing locally created tastes and products unique to Hawaiʻi. The festival’s official site describes it as a community celebration rooted in Hawaiian cultural values, sustainable environmental practices, and positive experiences for residents and visitors alike. Over the decades it has developed a reputation for feeling less like a formal fundraiser and more like a “family reunion,” which is exactly the kind of warm, welcoming vibe many travelers hope to find on an island trip.

For visitors planning a Big Island getaway in March 2026, Kona Brewers Festival is also perfectly timed. March sits in a sweet spot between peak winter travel and summer crowds, and Kailua-Kona offers the walkable coastal energy that makes a festival weekend feel effortless.

Event Details: Date and Location Confirmed for 2026

Local reporting confirms the 31st Kona Brewers Festival returns March 14, 2026 at the historic King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona. The festival’s official mobile festival page also states “31st Annual Kona Brewers Festival March 14, 2026 at the King Kamehameha Beach Hotel Kailua-Kona, HI.” If you’re building flights and accommodation around the event, this is the key detail to lock in early, since the Kona Coast tends to book up fast for popular weekends.

What to Expect: Craft Beer, Island Cuisine, and Live Entertainment

The Kona Brewers Festival is widely described as pairing an “outstanding lineup of craft brews” with culinary creations from local chefs, plus live entertainment and a strong community atmosphere. The official website reinforces that core experience, stating that craft breweries and island chefs showcase locally created tastes and products unique to Hawaiʻi. In other words, it’s not just a beer festival. It’s a Big Island food-and-culture day where local flavor is the main attraction.

Live Music Highlight

Big Island Now reports that Ron Artis II will join the 2026 festival as its featured artist. The official festival page also names Ron Artis II as the featured music, aligning with that announcement. For travelers, this matters because it signals the festival is curated as a full island entertainment experience, not simply a tasting event.

Community and Cultural Impact: The Heart of the Festival

The official Kona Brewers Festival site states it is a fundraising event under the Ke Kai Ala Foundation supporting Hawaiʻi Island’s youth, culture, and environment. It also explains a distinctive model: charitable organizations apply to be beneficiaries, and selected nonprofits provide volunteers in exchange for receiving funds raised by the event. That structure makes the festival feel deeply local, because the community literally helps power the event, and the proceeds cycle back into local causes.

A major milestone worth noting is the total community impact. Big Island Now reports the festival has raised more than $1.8 million since its founding to support environmental, cultural, and youth-focused nonprofits. For an island audience, that’s part of what makes attending feel meaningful: you’re not only enjoying Kona sunshine and great beer, you’re participating in a long-running community benefit tradition.

Sustainability on the Kona Coast: A Festival Priority

Sustainability is not an afterthought here. The official website emphasizes sustainable environmental practices as part of the festival’s guiding ethos. It also notes volunteers help “monitor the zero waste stream,” which highlights an operational commitment to reducing festival waste. On a small island ecosystem, that matters, and it’s encouraging to see a major event speak directly about environmental responsibility.

Planning Your Kailua-Kona Festival Weekend

Because Kona Brewers Festival takes place at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona, you’re in one of the most walkable visitor areas on the Big Island. Nearby you’ll find oceanfront views, historic sites, and the easygoing rhythm of Aliʻi Drive, which makes it simple to turn a single event day into a full Kona weekend.

Where to Stay

Consider staying in or near downtown Kailua-Kona so you can walk or take a short ride to the venue and avoid parking stress. If you’re staying farther north (Waikoloa, Mauna Lani, or Kohala Coast resorts), plan transportation early so the day stays relaxed.

What to Expect on Festival Day

While the 2026 schedule and gate times are not fully published in the official pages captured here, the 2026 festival is confirmed to include craft brews, chef tastings, and live entertainment in a community celebration format. Expect an oceanfront, daytime-into-sunset feel typical of Kona events, with the venue location putting you right on the water in Kailua-Kona.

Tickets and Pricing for Kona Brewers Festival 2026

As of the official festival page captured here, ticket pricing is not yet posted, and the site states: “Tickets will be available soon. Check back often!” Because pricing is not published in the verified official source, specific 2026 ticket prices cannot be confirmed in this article. The best approach is to monitor the official Kona Brewers Festival website for the ticket release so you can purchase from the primary source as soon as sales open.

Why Kona Brewers Festival Belongs on Your Big Island Itinerary

Kona Brewers Festival 2026 is confirmed for Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona, bringing together craft brews, island chefs, live entertainment, and fundraising that supports Hawaiʻi Island nonprofits. With its roots dating to 1996, its sustainability focus, and its community-powered beneficiary model, it’s the kind of event that feels authentically Big Island rather than “tourist-only.” If you want a March trip that tastes like Kona, sounds like Hawaiʻi, and connects you to the community that makes this island special, mark March 14, 2026 on your calendar and plan to celebrate on the Kona coast with a glass in hand and aloha all around.

Verified Information at a Glance

• Event Name: Kona Brewers Festival (31st Annual)
• Event Category: Craft beer, food, and live music community fundraising festival
• Island/Region: Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island), Kailua-Kona (Kona Coast)
• Confirmed Date (2026): Saturday, March 14, 2026
• Confirmed Venue: King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel (Kailua-Kona, HI)
• Beneficiary model (confirmed): 15–20 nonprofits selected as beneficiaries and provide volunteers
• Mission focus (confirmed): Supports Hawaiʻi Island youth, culture, and environment through Ke Kai Ala Foundation fundraising
• Sustainability (confirmed): Emphasizes sustainable practices and a “zero waste stream” monitored by volunteers
• Featured artist (confirmed for 2026): Ron Artis II
• Ticket pricing (2026): Not yet published; official site says tickets will be available soon