Hundreds of Hawaii residents and visitors will be transported back in time Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Captain Cook where Kona Historical Society is hosting Farm Fest. This eighth annual free celebration honors Kona’s heritage by offering stories, entertainment, food, and numerous hands-on activities sharing the traditions practiced by Kona’s coffee industry, its pioneers and our diverse, multicultural community.
The family-friendly event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the historic farm, which is located on the makai side of Mamalahoa Highway between mile markers 110 and 111. Parking will not be available at the farm. Eventgoers are encouraged to park at the Kealakekua Ranch Center in Captain Cook and take the free shuttle provided by Roberts Hawaii to Farm Fest. Vehicle access at the farm will be restricted to vendor, staff and volunteer drop-offs only.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating 20 years of Living History.” At Kona Historical Society, history isn’t just places, dates and events. It’s about people. Living history is just one of the tools this community-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and Smithsonian Museum affiliate has for sharing Hawaii’s history with people of all ages and amplifying the many voices that make up our community’s legacy. Living history not only grabs people’s attention by immersing them in a pivotal historic event or activity, but also creates a personal bridge between the past and present.
“Twenty years ago, Kona Historical Society recognized the impact of Kona’s coffee pioneers on the unique culture of this region, and sought to preserve the story of Japanese immigration and life in the Kona field systems to be shared through Living History. Living History invites patrons to imagine that the world around them is set in a different time. Through costumes, historic buildings and tools, the historical interpreters of the Kona Coffee Living History Farm simulate life on a Kona coffee farm in 1920 or 1930.” said Executive Director Dance Aoki. “Today, we invite our community to enjoy interacting with Kona’s history in an immersive, hands-on way and interpreting traditions and values passed down from generation to generation, traditions and values which we still perpetuate today.”
During Farm Fest, wander the pathways of Kona Historical Society’s picturesque 5.5-acre working coffee and macadamia farm and enter 1900-1950, an important era of Kona’s coffee pioneers who used pure grit and local ingenuity to transform both the coffee farming process and the landscape upon which it happened. Tour the farmhouse, where period artifacts, reproductions and skilled interpreters bring to life the sounds, smells and stories of daily life of the Japanese immigrant farming family that once lived here. Explore the kuriba (mill) and hoshidana (drying rack), two amazingly intact examples of how Kona’s first coffee farmers processed their crops and solved problems with limited supplies. Try “Hands On History” activities like traditional coffee land games, ikebana (Japanese art of flower arrangement), lauhala weaving, coffee picking, Japanese calligraphy, medicinal gardening, and pan roasting coffee. Learn how donkeys were a crucial part of Kona coffee farm families in the early 20th century at a pop-up exhibit on Kona Nightingales and then visit the farm’s pasture to observe the resident donkeys Shizu and Charlie Boy, who may sing their own song. Watch celebrity chef Sam Choy’s cooking demonstration featuring kobocha squash (Japanese pumpkin). Enjoy performances by Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La and Keola Grace & Friends.
Farm Fest is sponsored by Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Farm & Garden and Hawaiian Isles Real Estate. The event is also funded from grants by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Freeman Foundation. Additional support was given by Roberts Hawaii, Body Glove Tours, KTA Superstores, Carol Greenwell and Frederick G. Dosher.