The 2019 Kaua'i Steel Guitar Festival

January 15, 2019 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The 2019 Kaua'i Steel Guitar Festival will be held on March 1 and 2, 2019, at the Courtyard Kaua'i at Coconut Beach in Kapa'a. The 2019 lineup of featured steel guitarists includes veterans Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, Greg Sardinha, and Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz along with Kaua'i featured steelers Ed Punua and Kilipaki Vaughan. New this year is steel guitarist Kapono Lopes who is making his Kaua'i festival debut. Also included in the linep is Dave "DK" Kolars from DeKalb, Illinois.

The main program will also feature NextGen musicians from Ke Kula Mele School of Hawaiian Music. Pono Fernandez, Malie Lyman, and Joey Misailiidis will showcase their steel guitar skills while Tai Misailidis will amaze festival guests with her U-bass playing.

Ed Punua at the 2018 Kaua'i Festival. PC-Don Touchi

The 2019 program will repeat the format of 2018's festival, with a pre-festival "Kika Pila" jam session at Keoki's Paradise in Poipu Beach on Thursday, Open Stage sessions and workshops on Friday, and the main Ho'olaule'a program on Saturday. Public kanikapila jam sessions are planned for Friday and Saturday evenings. The 2019 festival emcee is expected to be Lady Ipo Kahaunaele-Ferreira, co-emcee for the 2018 festival.

The 2019 festival was rescheduled to the March date to accommodate completion of the resort's $8 million renovation project. Renovation of some public areas will continue during the festival but festival areas should not be affected.

The hotel will be rebranded as a Sheraton Resort property after completion of the renovation. According to Barbara Guzman, Sales Manager of the Courtyard Kaua'i, the rebranding will occur after the renovation is complete, possibly in the summer, 2019, timeframe.