AUG. 23-24

GREEK FESTIVAL

Although it's becoming more widely available here, Mediterranean food (other than Italian) can be difficult to come by here, which is one reason people tend to mark their calendars well in advance of the annual Greek Festival at McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park on O'ahu. This year, the dates are Aug. 23-24, and the ladies are already baking in the kitchen at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral. But there's more than just food; there is, as well, music (Fotia, a popular Greek band from the West Coast, plus guitarist Sotos Kappas), dance (including instruction so you can join in). Admission: $3. One new wrinkle this year: a Web site where you can get all the latest information: www.greekfestivalhawaii.com.

NOV. 7-16

KONA COFFEE FESTIVAL

It's believed that coffee has been grown in Hawai'i since the 1820s, when missionary Samuel Ruggles is said to have planted it first on O'ahu and then on the Big Island. Thirty-eight years ago, growers, processors and others came together to celebrate Ruggles' contribution and subsequent generations' hard work in making "Kona Coffee" a term with the cache of quality the world around. To do so, they created the annual event now known as the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. It's the oldest food festival in the Islands but has become so much more, flowering like a coffee bush in the misty Kona highlands. The dates this year are Nov. 7-16, with events ranging from a cupping competition to an art stroll in Holualoa. 808-326-7820; www.konacoffeefest.com.

AUG. 1-24

MUSICFEST IN SAN DIEGO

Between Aug. 1 and 24, more than 70 of the world's most renowned musicians will participate in 16 different concerts during the La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest 2008 event. Highlights include SummerFest Under the Stars, a free outdoor concert at La Jolla Cove Aug. 14, a concert by Kennedy Center Honors winner Leon Fleisher, performances by such Grammy-winning artists Garrick Ohlsson (piano) and Gil Shaham (violin), a three-evening "Brahmsfest" and more. The more than 20-year-old festival near San Diego has become a mecca for lovers of symphonic music. Subscriptions: $295-$695 (single tickets, $15-$75). 858-459-3728; www.LaJollaMusicSociety.org.