Hawaii’s largest food and wine event is celebrating its 13th year of bringing together Michelin-starred chefs, notable winemakers and master mixologists for a classic taste of Aloha. The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival comes after a challenging and emotional year for Hawaii, following the Maui fires, and as restaurant and hospitality workers have seen a slowdown in tourism.

The festival that began last month and continues this weekend spreads across multiple islands and is officially the largest food and wine festival in the state. This weekend, the festival comes to Oahu, with events at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Halekulani, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa and elsewhere.

Co-founder and James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi spoke to me this week about this year’s festival and what “lucky number 13” means to him.

David Hochman: What’s different about Hawaii Food & Wine from all other festivals for you?

Chef Roy Yamaguchi: First of all, this festival itself is always different. This is our 13^th year, and we think of thirteen, in Asia, as a lucky year—another stepping stone towards moving into the future. Hawaii’s Food & Wine Festival always has a special vibe because people really want to be here. It’s Hawaii! And the chefs and mixologists and winemakers who come bring so much flare and goodness because everyone is feeling great.

David Hochman: What’s exciting on the lineup for this year?

Chef Roy Yamaguchi: Mark Pittman made people so happy last year with his Texas barbecue and will be here again. We have our locals like Sheldon Simeon from Tiffany’s Restaurant in Wailuku, and Robynne Maii, from Fête in Honolulu, who won a James Beard Award last year. Gaby Maeda, who grew up in Hawaii, is now a rising star at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. The wineries that come are always amazing: Château Pape Clément, Duckhorn, Mayacamas, and more. And, of course, our mixologists. Julie Reiner always comes back from New York. Jen Ackrill is local. Tony Abou-Ganim is in from Vegas. It’s a global pool of talent!

David Hochman: When visitors to Hawaii want to take the flavors back home with them, what do you recommend that they do?

Chef Roy Yamaguchi: Well, number one is, Hawaiian food is a spirit. It’s a state of mind. It’s relaxed, it’s fresh, it’s flavorful and it mixes all the different ethnicities that make Hawaii Hawaii. That starts with all the flavors from around Asia, because all those flavors are part of Hawaiian culture. If you can somehow incorporate that mix into your style of cooking, you’re on your way. If you want to go deeper, you can try a laulau (pork and butterfish wrapped in ti leaves) or kalua pork, which you can make in a slow cooker. People taste those and say, “That’s Hawaii!” But at the end of the day, if you’re smoking something, if you’re barbecuing something with some Hawaiian flavors, that’s going to be a bit hit.

David Hochman: After a very tough year for Hawaii, with the fires and tragedies, what does it mean to be able to gather at an event like this?

Chef Roy Yamaguchi: It has been a difficult time for so many people. We have two restaurants on the island in Maui, and with all the devastation, the fires in Lahaina and also upcountry, there’s still a lot to go through and process. We want to be with our community to support them. One of the ways we do that is by helping families that need to work. With tourism slowing in the aftermath of the fires, people here are eager to work again if only because, you know, they have mortgages to pay and other financial burdens. The Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund for Maui has done an incredible job supporting the needs of displaced restaurant workers and hospitality workers. They’ve raised close to $700,000 to date. For us, this festival is a celebration of Hawaii, and of the Hawaiian spirit and flavors, and I’m just grateful we’re able to experience this again together. Doing things like this, it’s the best way forward.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.