The COVID-19 pandemic has another victim:  the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, which was going to celebrate its 50th Festival this November, is being postponed until November 5 through 14, 2021.

“Our Board of Directors determined that a scaled back version of the Festival that complied with social distancing guidelines, would not be able to celebrate the 50 years of culture behind Kona’s famous coffee festival,” said Valerie Corcoran, Kona Coffee Cultural Festival President. “We look forward to welcoming festival goers to the 50th Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in 2021.”

Michelle Sakata Johnson, Miss Kona Coffee Queen in 1977, said she was just getting ready to start working with the young women, ages 4 through 16, who were going to participate in this year’s Miss Kona Coffee Pageant.  She said the Board struggled with the decision, and she is personally very sad, but everybody recognized that postponement was the smart and right thing to do.

The award-winning Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is recognized as the oldest and one of the most successful food festivals in Hawaii and honors Kona’s cultural heritage and recognizes the accomplishments of Kona coffee pioneers, farmers and artisans.