Kauai Events in October 2026

Events & Festivals on the island of Kauai

Hawaii Guide founders and certified Hawaii travel experts.

Kauai events in October 2026 line up around a few anchors. I plan around the Kilohana chocolate-and-coffee festival, the Līhuʻe night market, Halloween, and — if the trip runs into early November — the Eo e Emalani i Alakaʻi festival in Kōkeʻe.

I treat this as a planning page, not a complete community calendar. Smaller markets, craft fairs, and hotel events fill in closer to October, so recheck the organizer pages before you book anything nonrefundable.

2026 Events and Festivities

Kauaʻi Chocolate & Coffee Festival

The sweetest day on Kauaʻi's fall calendar. The 11th Kauaʻi Chocolate & Coffee Festival is posted for Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 10 AM to 4 PM at Kilohana Plantation in Līhuʻe. The organizer describes it as a celebration of Kauaʻi chocolate and coffee, with entertainment, demonstrations, artists, crafters, and local chocolate and coffee vendors.

Entry is free, but the tasting passport is the purchase that gets you samples, and the organizer says passport tickets are sold in advance. If tastings are the reason you are going, check the ticket page before you fly rather than treating this as a walk-up decision.

When: October 18, 2026, 10 AM - 4 PM
Where: Kilohana Plantation, Līhuʻe
More Info: kauaichocolateandcoffeefestival.com

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Downtown Līhuʻe 2nd Saturday Night Market

Every second Saturday of the month, Kress Street in downtown Līhuʻe turns into a free block party with local food, music, and island-made goods. October's edition lands on Saturday, October 10, 2026. It is an easy evening: no ticketed seating, no big production, just show up hungry and keep the day loose.

When: October 10, 2026, 4 - 8 PM (every 2nd Saturday)
Where: Kress Street, downtown Līhuʻe
More Info: downtownlihue.com

Halloween on the Garden Isle

Halloween on Kauaʻi spreads across resort events, merchant trick-or-treating, and costume nights around the island. If you want a fuller picture of how the holiday shows up across Hawaiʻi, our Halloween in Hawaii guide breaks it down island by island and covers the cultural notes most visitor guides skip.

When: October 31, 2026 (Saturday)
Where: Resort and town events island-wide
More Info: Halloween in Hawaii Guide

Eo e Emalani i Alakaʻi — the Weekend After

Technically a November event, but if your October trip runs long, this is the one I make room for. The 38th annual Eo e Emalani i Alakaʻi Festival is posted for Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Kōkeʻe State Park. The public day runs 9 AM to 4 PM, with Queen Emma's horseback arrival scheduled for 10 AM and cultural exhibits, food, music, and hula around the performance area.

When: November 7, 2026, 9 AM - 4 PM
Where: Kōkeʻe State Park, above Waimea
More Info: Eo e Emalani Festival Visitor Guide

The rhythm of a Kauaʻi October, then: hit the Līhuʻe night market if you're on-island the second Saturday, plan the Chocolate & Coffee Festival into the third weekend, and let Halloween stay flexible. If the calendar allows, stretching into the Eo e Emalani weekend adds a cultural stop to a beach trip.

Pro tip: buy the Chocolate & Coffee tasting passport before you fly. Everything else here is flexible, but Kauaʻi pays off when you check the calendar again near arrival. Small county fairs, hotel Halloween events, and pop-up markets can post late and still be worth folding into the trip.

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