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The warmth, hospitality and colour of four Pacific nations was celebrated in Warkworth at the annual Pasifika Festival, held at Mahurangi College on Saturday, November 23.
The festival opened with performances by Warkworth Primary School kapa haka, followed by a programme featuring multiple items from Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.
The event is organised by the Mahu Vision Trust, under the auspices of the Warkworth Presbyterian Church. Trust executive officer Roger Mackay says the festival is an opportunity for the community to experience the Pacific cultures represented in Mahurangi.
“It also helps these Pacific communities to keep their culture alive,” he says.
The afternoon programme culminated in a shared dinner, enjoyed by more than 500 people.
“Audience numbers were slightly down on previous years, but this could have been due to the weather – people went to the beach instead! Plus, it is a very busy time of the year.”
Special guests included the Associate Minister for Pacific Peoples, Carmel Sepuloni, Members of Parliament, and police, education, Auckland Council and Rodney Local Board representatives.
Warkworth Lions, Mahu Community Trading Post, Southern Paprika, New World Warkworth, Mahurangi College, the Ministry of Pacific Peoples and Creative Communities were thanked for their support.
