Eat Them | Weave Them | Grow Them
A celebration of all things banana at the Ka Mai‘a ‘Ho‘olaule‘a /
It's a
3‑Ring
Banana
Circus
Free your Inner Banana!
Bananas are breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert food in Hawai‘i. They were one of the key canoe plants, carried on Polynesian voyaging canoes. Today, from our home gardens to local plantations, bananas are everywhere in Hawai‘i. They are essential sustenance, and so much more. Peel on out, and learn more when you go to
Gabe Sachter-Smith owner of the Banana Source will talk about banana biodiversity, botanical history, cultivation & culinary uses.
(Starts at 9AM sharp. Prior to the Festival opening at 10AM. Have your tickets in hand to enter at 8:45AM.)
Featured Events
Bananas: Not just for smoothies anymore! Discover their amazing versatility at the Banana Festival.
Check out our events.
T-shirt & Tote Banana Fiber Printing
Great fun for keiki and adults. Create art with unique trunk and leaf patterns on canvas, t-shirts and tote bags.Bring your own or buy at the Fest.
Banana Tasting Table
Sample over 10 varieties of delicious, local island grown bananas.
Textile dyeing
Wesley Sen will demonstrate dyeing on kapa using rich purple Fe’i banana sap. This technique and dye is uniqe to Samoa.
The Great Banana Cook-Off
Bring in your banana dish and enter our Great Banana Cook-off
Click here to enter
Banana Fiber & Lauhala Weaving
Mahina Pukahi will demonstrate how it’s done. Black (ele ele) banana fibers were tradtionally interwoven with lau hala to create beautiful designs.
Banana Fest was fun for the whole family! The kids enjoyed learning to weave with banana and tasting many different varieties. Lots of delicious banana dishes, and it was so awesome to talk story with a great collection of plant people. We’ll definitely come back again to the beautiful Windward Community College.
Kalani Matsumura
Good People. Good Times.
Banana Fest is being put on by the people at Slow Food O‘ahu, Banana Source, and our friends.
Featured Books
World of Bananas
World of Bananas by Angela Kay Kepler, the only Hawai‘i-centric banana book, covering more than you ever thought possible about bananas and bananas in Hawai‘i. Includes 80 great recipes.
> $85 at the Fest compared to $100 on Ebay, if you can find it.
Ark of Taste
Slow Foods’ Ark of Taste, includes features on Kiawe Honey and Ele Ele Bananas, two of Hawai‘i’s Ark foods.
>$30 for Slow Food USA’s The Ark of Taste, retails for $35.
Paniolo Wisdom
Out on the range nothin’ tastes better than a banana.
Featured Events
Bananas: Not just for smoothies anymore! Discover their amazing versatility at the Banana Festival.
Check out our events.
Banana Dish Samples
Including both savory and sweet maia.
Banana Plants
Numerous and unique varieties will be for sale for your growing and eating pleasure.
Banana Flower Adobo
Sample& taste banana flower adobo. You are in for a treat!
Banana Talk by Gabe Sachter-Smith
Starts at 9AM, before the Festival opens at 10AM.
The Maia festival was a treat for the senses including tasting multiple exotic banana varieties that are not easily found, even in Hawai‘i.
Tina Lau, Jr Extension Agent, University of Hawai‘i
Get Tickets
Expand your notion of what a banana is and can be!
Coming Soon
The festival engaged the senses—seeing the number of people in attendance reminded me that bananas are the most widely consumed fruit in the world; listening to the conversations at the information booths demonstrated interest in propagating and knowing more; tasting, touching and smelling the different varieties of bananas as we entered was an attention grabber!
Sharon Hurd, Chair, Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture
For the keiki… and the adults too.
Join with others making your own artwork using the parts of a banana and banana plant. All parts of banana plants are used for food, art, and handicrafts. Bring your own shirt or tote bag. Or buy a blank one at the Festival to dye.
A Good Time Is
Had By All
Banana plant parts make great designs
At the Banana Fest you can also create a beautiful
Be a part of
Banana Festival 2024
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