This year is a gold coin donation on the day and people from the Mackay and Whitsunday Region come to celebrate their cultures for all the community to see. The festival brings together many Pacific Island communities such as New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, and Kiribati. Along with the entertainment by traditional singing the event also showcases the Islands of Papua New Guinea and South Sea Islander communities.

This cultural celebration provides many performances from cultural dancing, singing, food tasting of many traditional meals and performing arts. The festival is a safe and free way of encouraging and engaging the youth and families in the community.

With the help of the Secretary of the South Sea Islander and the Bicentennial Hall Secretary committee, the Pasifika Festival was able to collaborate with a diverse range of cultures. The Mackay Pacific Islander Association has worked closely with the performers to secure all for that attend.

The program for the day will see performers who have practiced their culture and groups as well as many of the performances will come from proud youth members and volunteer their time in promoting their culture with their role in front of the Community Police and other key partners such as PCYC. Pasifika Festival aims to support the Pacific People and the solidarity of the whole region who are from the Pacific.

This year also sees the Maori people providing knowledge and wisdom in their cultural practices and beliefs of New Zealand. In languages, this includes many dialects of Te Reo. Some of the many performances and traditional activities will range from kapa haka and cook kuara. With group performances from their culture from regions in the North and South Island of New Zealand. These include groups PAC, Thursday Island, Toko Aranui, Maori Wardens, Te Kuki Airani, Toshi and PNG Community groups.

This year’s events will also see a Fire Dancer and a Warrior perform at the Pasifika Festival by Polynesian Pride Dance Troupe. The Pacific Rainbow and the ‘We Are 1’ Traditional New Zealand Dance Group (Kapa Haka) that cater to Community Events in the Capricorn Region, showcasing Maori culture.

Police Zeni will also be supporting Pasifika 2021. Mackay-based Joe Karen Bonham the current Event Manager who is also a Justice of the Peace has been involved in the coordination of the event and with the assistance of the Australian South Sea Islander Communities.

The event will be filmed by the regional networks and some of the performances will be available on social media platforms. Emergency Service vehicles will be there in attendance for the event along with Fire, Ambulance and Rescue Vehicles performing a demonstration for the festival attendees. Queensland Fire Service will be performing a Fire Extinguisher test and education with the Firemen Filtration model of putting out fire.

Pasifika Festival Food and Retail Vendors will be offering sale of Pacific Island food, Island wear and fresh coconuts. There will also be raffle tickets and prizes donated from the local churches for a raffle draw.

The whole day should be filled with cultural entertainment and celebration on this Saturday the 4th of September. The event begins at 10:00am and you can contact the event organisers via email: [email protected]

Roborn the Rose