Kaua‘i Festival Program Announced

March 11, 2022 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The program for the 2022 Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival has been posted on the festival's website. A personal schedule in PDF form can also be downloaded from the website.

This year's festival incorporates all the standard features of previous Kaua‘i festivals including school visitations, a kickoff kanikapila on Thursday, Open Stage performances, workshops, and public kanikapila sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings.

This year's Saturday ho‘olaule‘a program has been revised to present the eight featured steel guitarists in two separate 3-hour performance segments, Ho‘olaule‘a Ekahi and Ho‘olaule‘a Elua.

The Ho‘olaule‘a Ekahi, the first segment, will start at Noon and feature Kaua‘i's Kilipaki Vaughan, Dave "DK" Kolars from Illinois, newcomer Joseph Zayak, and Alan Akaka. The segment will continue until 3 P.M.

A two hour intermission will give festival guests a performance break and an opportunity to grab a refreshment or something to eat.

Ho‘olaule‘a Elua will begin at 5 P.M. and feature Kapono Lopes, Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz, Bobby Ingano, and California's Patti Maxine. The segment will continue until 8 P.M.

New to the Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival is steel guitarist Joseph Zayac. Joseph has an extensive background with Hawai‘i's premier Gypsy Jazz Band, Gypsy808, but is also an accomplished steel guitar player with training from Jeff Au Hoy and Bobby Ingano. Joseph recently appeared as a guitarist for the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase and will be a featured steel guitarist in this year's Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival.

Also new this year is the partnering of NextGen steel guitarists with the main featured players. NextGen steel guitarist Pono Fernandez will partner with Joseph Zayac. NextGen Enosa Lyman will play with Alan Akaka. M?lie Lyman will duet with Kapono Lopes, Tai Misailidis will play with Bobby Ingano, and both Tai and Joey Misailidis will partner with Patti Maxine.

Currently, there are no restrictions with regard to vaccination or pre-testing in place for the County of Kauai for Professionally organized Events.

While the Statewide face masking policies are due to be lifted at the end of this month, the hotel follows the policies prescribed by the hotel's corporate guidelines.

According to Corinne Mokiao, Event Sales Manager for the hotel, "All guests are to wear face coverings while they are on property either indoors or outdoors and as they walk through the property." However, "If you are eating or drinking, we do not require face coverings." This mandate is in place until lifted by their corporate office.

The 2022 Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival kicks off on Thursday, March 31, and runs through Saturday, April 2 at the Sheraton Kaua‘i Coconut Beach Resort in Kapa‘a.