Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival features new Maui event, Girls Night Out at Whalers Village

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival has added two new events to the 2022 lineup: Whalers Village Presents Girls’ Night Out in Kāʻanapali and Say Cheese! Crafting Charcuterie Boards on at the Prince Waikīkī in Honolulu.

The 12th annual festival now has 14 curated culinary experiences spanning Maui, the Big Island and O‘ahu over three weekends.

Girls NIght Out — the ultimate foodie event for the fashionista — comes to the oceanfront shopping center, Whaler’s Village, to kick off the 2022 festival and the 4-day series of events in Kāʻanapali.

The event, which runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 20, begins with a toast at the new Hawai‘i Wildlife Discovery Center. Ticket holders next are guided on a hunt for fashion finds at Whalers Village’s Tori Richard, Maui Divers Jewelry and Johnny Was while enjoying delicious dishes and chic cocktails in-store from featured restaurants including Hula Grill, Café Jai and Joey’s Kitchen.

The evening ends at Sephora, where festival mixologists shake up specialty cocktails. All attendees will take home a special gift from each participating retailer and have the chance to win exclusive gift baskets at the end of the night.

In November, the festival brings “The Cheese Guy” — California-based cheese monger Kent Torrey — to O‘ahu on Nov. 5 for a special hands-on class where attendees learn the tips and tricks to assemble Instagram-worthy cheese and charcuterie boards.

Torrey, who was raised in Hawai‘i, owns The Cheese Shop in Carmel, CA, which is featured on the Travel Channel worldwide as a “Must See Destination.” 

Say Cheese! attendees will learn how to select the best products to balance shape, texture, taste and color on their boards, as well as insights about the unique history and origin of special cheeses hand-selected by Torrey.

Attendees will build their own platter from start to finish and take it home on a special commemorative Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival wooden cheese board. Guests also will receive an exclusive wine and cheese pairing lesson — swirling and sipping a pair of wines. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

Tickets for the Whalers Village Presents Girls’ Night Out and Say Cheese! Crafting Charcuterie Boards are $200 per person. They are available for purchase at www.HFWF.me. 

Proceeds from the festival ticket purchases support Hawai‘i’s farmers, ranchers and fishermen, as well as up-and-coming chef talent at local culinary colleges and agricultural education for Hawai‘i’s keiki.