HONOLULU (KHON2) — Canoes from 25 Pacific nations sailed onto the shores of Kualoa Regional Park during a grand symbolic welcoming– an official kickoff for the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC), Wednesday morning on June 5.
“The king of New Zealand and the princess are here. We have begun to meet former prime ministers and people that are in parliament,” stated Governor Josh Green. “You can hear the prayers in the background over Wa’a, you can hear the music in the air.”
The Wa’a ceremony initiated FestPAC with performances and spiritual teaching from across Oceania. Some delegations canoed directly from their home to Hawaii spending weeks on the ocean. A program schedule for the ten-day festival starting Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 16 can be found here.
“The canoes from the South Pacific islands decided that they were going to come. That feat is a huge feat. It’s not easy, even for all the canoes that didn’t come necessarily by sailing. They were shipped over,” stated an ambassador for Ohana Wa’a.
The festival hosted on Oahu for the first time in its 52-year-long history only happens once every four years and in different countries.
“We’re all connected, this ocean has always connected us. It’s never separated us, as others might have thought, but it allowed us to stay as one family. So being together today, we get to celebrate that,” said Master Navigator, Chadd Paishon.
The main showcase of FestPAC will be the Festival Village at the Hawaii Convention Center. Every delegation will have a dedicated hale to share their cultural practices and traditions. The exhibition will be free and open to the public starting Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We’re expecting about 100,000 individuals to come and experience FESTPAC. Please do, because Hawaii or anyone in America will not host Festpac again, probably for 50 years,” stated Governor Green.