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STAR-BULLETIN
Kona coffee takes center stage during a cultural festival running through Nov. 11 on the Big Island.
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3-day Big Isle festival celebrates famed coffee
Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort hosts three days of java-laced dining, art and international cupping competition as a participant in the 2007 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Big Island, which continues through Nov. 11.
Daytime activities at the hotel include the Gevalia Kona Cupping Contest, during which the nation's top Kona coffee farmers vie for the honor of having grown the finest of coffee beans. The free event will take place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, with finals from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday. At the same time both days, take in the Gevalia Coffee Art Exhibit, featuring original works that feature and/or have been inspired by Kona coffee, and the 10th annual Keauhou Resort Kona Coffee Label & Web Site Competition.
One of the highlights will be the sixth annual Kona Coffee Culinary Invitational, an evening of professional island chefs "brewing" up culinary cuisine featuring 100 percent Kona coffee as an ingredient. This event takes place at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door, available at the hotel or by calling 808-324-2554.
For reservations at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, call toll-free (800) OUTRIGGER (688-7444) within the United States, Guam and Canada. Elsewhere, call (303) 369-7777 (long-distance charges apply). Or, visit www.outrigger.com or e-mail reservations@outrigger.com.
For more information about the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, visit www.konacoffeefest.com.