Creativity Showcase: The 2026 Banana Festival Cook-off

Take another look at the bananas ripening on your counter, or the banana plant that's blooming outside: What's your family's favorite ‘ono banana dish? Not banana bread, but your signature way of preparing banana, any kind of banana or any part of the banana plant. It might be a pupu, or a savory dish, or a sweet one. Or maybe you use banana in a drink, or you prepare the flower.

The 2026 Banana Festival invites you to enter your banana dish (or more than one) in a competition for prizes (and fame!). There are five categories for entry (pupu, savory, dessert, drink, and flower), and prizes for first, second, and third place winners. This year the prizes include backpacks from Patagonia, and gift certificates to Farm Link Hawai‘i, Kualoa Ranch, and Ho‘okua‘āina.

It's an opportunity to have some fun showing your kitchen flair! Recent first-place winners include Mari Wills, who used green bananas in making delicious vegan burgers, and Henry Kisitu, who stunned the judges with sweet banana stem chips. Last year, Alice Liu won with her savory Braised Plantain & Pork Belly on Plantain Chips topped with Pickled Banana Florets, and Carol Cancler's ‘I‘i Mai‘a ‘I‘o Banana Peel "Meatballs" took first place for pupu. Yes, she used the banana peel! This competition is wide open to your imagination.

On festival day, Sunday, August 30, 2026, judges will evaluate and sample your dish(s) based on criteria including: best use of banana, overall impression, appearance/presentation, flavor/aroma, and originality.

The deadline for entries is Friday, August 28, 2026. Submit your entry here.