Hawai‘i Island’s first-ever smoked meat festival.

A celebration of local food systems and community-driven innovation. Smoke it Up! is more than just a culinary event, it’s a platform for education, engagement, and action to address one of the island’s most pressing challenges: feral pigs.

This festival reimagines a growing problem as a powerful opportunity. By elevating feral pig meat as a value-added product, Smoke it Up! strengthens local food security, drives product innovation, and opens new economic pathways, including export potential, that position Hawai‘i Island as a leader in food innovation.

As our community strives for greater food resilience, this event offers a bold, integrated solution that tackles multiple challenges at once.

SMOKE IT UP!

SMOKE IT UP!

Smoke it Up! is the culmination of an 18-month initiative to explore solutions to Puna’s growing feral pig population – connecting hunters with neighborhoods, investing in protein processing infrastructure, and advancing community education.

Inspired by Maui’s successful effort to transform invasive axis deer into a community asset, this festival highlights what’s possible when we think creatively and act collectively.

Smoke it Up! is a collaboration between Council District 4, Mālama O Puna, and the Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum, supported by a Puna Strong Grant from the County of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

Join us on Saturday, October 25, from 2:00-5:00pm at Maku‘u Market. Tickets are $75 and include tastings smoked creations by featured chefs, two complimentary beverages, and live music by Ka‘ikena Scanlan and Positive Motion.

Your purchase of a ticket does more than grant entry – it fuels a local movement.

Proceeds directly support future Smoke it Up! initiatives, helping to build long-term, community-led solutions to manage the feral pig issue and strengthen Puna’s food security and economy.

MAHALO TO OUR PARTNERS & CONTRIBUTORS

  • The pua‘a served at Smoke it Up! was locally sourced and harvested in Puna, and processed in a USDA-certified facility before being prepared by local chefs.

  • Feral pigs are one of Hawai‘i Island’s most destructive invasive species, causing environmental damage and threatening local agriculture. Smoke it Up! reimagines this challenge as an opportunity by elevating wild pork as a valuable local resource, helping to boost food security and build economic opportunity.

  • Each $75 ticket includes smoked meat tastings prepared by featured chefs and culinary students, two complimentary beverages, live entertainment by Kaʻikena Scanlan and Positive Motion, and access to educational displays and engagement opportunities.