The 32nd Rotary Club of Kapaa’s Taste of Hawaii event raised more than $40,000 to benefit the Kauai community.
People benefiting from the annual Taste of Hawaii event coming up on Sunday at the Smith’s Tropical Paradise include five student scholarships, the Boys &Girls Club, the HAWAII Academy of Arts, a ministry of St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church, Child and Family Service Hale Hoomalu, the Kauai Animal Education Farm, the Kauai Independent Food Bank (that just hosted its monthly emergency food distribution on Wednesday), the Kauai High School, the Kauai Lifeguard Association, Kapaa High School, Kawaikini Canoe Club, the Lihue Missionary Church Youth Outreach, Maui Fires Relief Fund, Puuwai Canoe Club, Temple of ZION Community Outreach, THRIVE with MOVEMENT, Tumoana (Ori Tahiti Dance School), Niumalu Canoe Club, and more.
“We also support the other Rotary Clubs on the island with their respective club’s service projects,” said Josie Cortez, the 2025 Taste of Hawaii chair. “We also found some money following last year’s Taste, so we were able to help the Kauai Lifeguard Association.”
This year’s Taste of Hawaii takes place on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Smith’s Tropical Paradise. Tickets are available online at www.tasteofhawaii.net or the event gate. It is encouraged that people purchase their tickets online until June 1 to give organizers an idea of how many people to prepare for and to receive admission at a discounted rate.
Parking is free at the Vidinha Stadium, with guests being shuttled to and from Smith’s Tropical Paradise.
Proceeds from the event support the Rotary Club of Kapaa’s benevolent community service, which includes scholarships for students and other local nonprofit causes.
“This year marks our 33rd year since starting back in the Coco Palms Resort,” Cortez said. “It’s actually supposed to be our 38th, but there was a break when we didn’t have any Taste because of natural disaster.”
Taste of Hawaii was not only the first event of its kind in the Hawaiian Islands, but it has consistently been a statewide favorite, attracting an audience of more than 1,000 participants each year and being voted one of the “Best Community Events,” Cortez said.
The 33rd Taste of Hawaii event, which is billed as “The Ultimate Sunday Brunch,” features more than 25 chefs from throughout the Hawaiian Islands, over 10 beverage vendors, and more than a dozen musical entertainment groups. There is also an online auction.
For more information or to register for a discounted admission ticket, visit www.tasteofhawaii.net.
