(BIVN) – Lāʻau Love Fest, a free community event offering native and food plant adoptions, will take place next weekend in Kona. 

The event will be held on Saturday, November 22, at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The County of Hawaiʻi Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity & Resilience, or OSCER, is hosting the event. From the County of Hawaiʻi: 

Lāʻau Love Fest is part of OSCER’s ongoing Lāʻau Love initiative, which aims to increase awareness, accessibility, and cultivation of native, canoe, and food plants across Hawaiʻi Island. The program encourages residents to grow species that support healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, while fostering community stewardship and long-term resilience.

Event flyer courtesy County of Hawaiʻi

Each household may adopt up to two free plants, with both reservation and first-come, first-served options available. All plants are sourced from a Plant Pono-certified local nursery, ensuring they are free of invasive pests such as little fire ants.

As part of the event, OSCER is partnering with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) to host two native plant wreath-making workshops at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Each workshop is limited to 25 participants and requires advance registration. Registration and all materials, including native plant clippings, wreath forms, and supplies, will be free of charge, courtesy of OSCER and BIISC.

Residents can receive event updates, which will include more info on how to register for the workshops and plant reservations, (at this website).

The County added that the final Lāʻau Love event of 2025 will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 10th at Magic of the Season in Hilo.