Christmas Comes to Holualoa

One of the most anticipated holiday events in Kona, the Holualoa Village Christmas and Light Festival is an annual tradition that attracts hundreds of residents and community members to the streets of our close-knit village. Now in its 15th year, the event is hosted by Holualoa Inn and Kona Blue Sky Coffee.

Festivities get underway from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on Saturday, December 3, with the lighting of the town Christmas tree at dusk. That's also when the village lights come on, transforming the town into a twinkling, Hawai‘i-style wonderland. Gallery owners open their doors and and serve up complimentary pupus and beverages, plus holiday treats, apple cider and 100-percent Kona coffee. There's also  live music, including performances this year by renowned slack-key musician, John Keawe. But the best part of the evening is the chance to run into friends and auld acquaintances, and to meet new friends or put names to familiar faces.

During the holidays, Holualoa Inn decks the halls with tropical flowers and amazing floral arrangements made of botanicals from our property. Last year, we decorated our Christmas tree with beautiful, white orchids. The wood-burning fireplace in our living area casts a warm holiday glow to the premises, and the scent of fresh-baked cookies wafts throughout the Inn during the day. When you book a stay at our Kona Hawaii bed and breakfast during the holiday season, you're sure to experience a Christmas to remember.


Innkeeper Holualoa Inn

Kona Coffee Festival

Coffee cupping competition

Here in Kona coffee country, the annual Kona Coffee Festival has been in full swing all week, featuring events, workshops, tours, competitions, and even a parade, to celebrate all things coffee. And at today's prestigious cupping competition, our own Brazen Hazen coffee was among the select finalists for the coveted award and industry recognition.

For 41 consecutive years, the Kona Coffee Festival has honored the cultural heritage and history of America's finest coffee. Thousands of residents, visitors, media and international coffee aficionados converge on Kailua-Kona to support the accomplishments of our local coffee industry. In Holualoa, the annual Village Coffee & Art Stroll is always one of the most popular events of the 10-day festival. Guests of Holualoa Inn got a front-row seat to the action, experiencing our town's close-knit ohana of artists, merchants and coffee farmers.  The street was overflowing with visitors who came to explore art galleries, sample some great local food and sip on 100-percent Kona coffee. More than two dozen estate Kona coffee farms provided endless samples of their best brew.

National Barista champion, Pete Licata, mentors a student.

Meanwhile, down the hill in Keauhou, 2011 National Barista Champion, Pete Licata, has been on hand to help aspiring competitors learn the fine points of making latte, espresso and more. In addition to his impressive first-place win in the nationals, he was also the runner-up at this year's World Barista Championships in Bogota, Colombia. His win and place showings were achieved using Kona coffee grown right here in Holualoa!!

Holualoa Inn's coffee was on display.

Holualoa Inn occupies a 30-acre coffee estate located in the heart of the Big Island's famous Kona coffee-growing region. We serve our own Holualoa Inn 100-percent Kona coffee at the Inn, and guests can tour our coffee farm, orchards, gardens and historic trails.

Innkeeper Holualoa Inn

Art Auction at Holualoa Inn

Renowned artists from Hawai‘i Island will be gathering at Holualoa Inn for an exciting art auction on November 19 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The pieces up for bid originate from the recent Hawai‘i Collaboration project spearheaded by Holualoa woodworker, Tai Lake, known internationally for his exquisite koa furniture.

Last month, Tai brought together more than 25 artists from Hawai‘i, plus a few artists from Canada and the mainland, to "cross-pollinate" their various, respective mediums and styles. The three-day gathering was hosted by Tai at his home in Holualoa, just a few blocks away from the Inn. He says the idea behind the collaboration was to inspire artists to venture outside of their traditional mediums. The result: an array of eclectic, borderline "crazy" art created spontaneously with found materials.

Woodworker Tai Lake, of Holualoa

Painters had the opportunity to collaborate with metal workers, for example, while ceramicists added their expertise to pieces created by woodworkers or drum makers. Currently on display at The Holualoa Gallery and Cliff John's Gallery in Holualoa, the finished pieces represent multiple contributions by a variety of artists. All proceeds from the auction will benefit future art collaborations and also help provide scholarships for young artists.

Artists gather for Hawaii Collaboration in October.

Holualoa Inn is located just steps away from the artists' village of Holualoa, where shops and galleries showcase local talent. If you're planning a stay at our romantic Hawai‘i bed-and-breakfast inn, you'll enjoy the many offerings our close-knit arts community has to offer.



Innkeeper Holualoa Inn