Attendees say Pasifika Festival should stay in central Akl

Western Springs park hosted the annual Pasifika Festival at the weekend, where questions on relocating it to South Auckland have arisen again.

Due to a Queensland fruit fly, the Pasifika Festival had been hastily relocated to Manukau's Hayman Park in 2015, which sparked discussion of keeping it in South Auckland.

However, Manukau ward councilor Lotu Fuli says despite transport issues causing her to miss out on this year's festival, "it's good to have it in central Auckland or West Auckland".

"We already got Polyfest in South Auckland which is massive and now we've got Lantern Festival in Manukau. So we're spoilt for choice.

"We're mindful we have a lot of our Pacific community living in central Auckland and around that area so for them, it's easier to get there."

She says plenty are discussing the relocation but suspects it is not coming from people in South Auckland.

"The issue is before Covid the numbers attending Pasifika have been dwindling over the years. So they're starting to say 'should we take it somewhere else?'"

South Auckland-based fairgoers weigh in

Māngere-based Tau Malolo ha Niue dancer Brianney-Lee Poimafiti-Maika (Liku, Hikutavake) say the park's generous space is a plus for the festival.

"Maybe they could try doing it where Polyfest is held," Poimafiti-Maika says.

"I guess because of how it was paused for a few years due to Covid it's not as packed as it used to be.

"Either way, it's all good but I would prefer it to be here because it reminds me of when I used to come here when I was young."

Many came out to support family and friends performing or to show love for the cultures, including Papakura-based Matthew Ante (Ngāpuhi, Tainui).

"We've come to support our niece as she stood on the Niue stage. She's in the age five to seven group. It was mean as!" Ante says.

"It was a little bit hectic to find a car park but it was all worth it in the end."

He says having the Pasifika Festival at Western Springs is probably better but moving it to South Auckland would potentially increase numbers.

North Shore-based Thomas Smallridge (Sāmoa) attended with his partner and their daughter to uplift her exposure to her Pacific heritage.

"Exposing my daughter to her Sāmoan culture and seeing some cultural performances. She's a keen dancer as well," Smallridge says.

"Pacific culture and culture in general is important to any society. Keeping in touch where people come from."

He says the trip to Western Springs was around 10 to 15 minutes but worth it.

"If you live in Auckland you're used to a half an hour travel to get anywhere."

A major player in attendance: Food, kai, mea'ai

The stages included Sāmoa, Tonga, Fiji, Niue, Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Aotearoa. While a Fale Pasifika stage hosted performances for Tahiti, Tokelau, Hawai'i and Kiribati.

Additionally the festival included a Bob Marley exhibition in light of the musical legend's only concert at Western Springs park in 1979.

Pasifika Festival's Bob Marley Exhibition showing the musical legend meeting Māori in 1979. Photo/Aui'a Vaimaila Leatinu'u

Attendees were never starved for options on food considering over 100 food and craft stalls surrounded each stage section of the park.

Food seemed to play a major role in attendance for the people PMN spoke to, and the event did not disappoint with a range of cuisine from 'otai, to mama's dumplings, Island style BBQ, hāngī and Jalisa fast food Fiji style.

As far as the eye can see. Photo/Aui'a Vaimaila Leatinu'u

Ante personally sought out the famed Tongan dish lo'i hoosi (horse meat) after seeing Australian-based Sāmoan, Fijian and Chilean influencer Jaden Laing try it during his visit to Aotearoa.

American Sāmoa-based Gabrielle Langkilde (Tutuila of Pago pago, Salemumu of Upolu, Sale'aula of Savai'i) says she also tried lo'i hoosi for the first time.

"It was so good! Me and all my friends from Uni tried it. I had 'otai for the first time too, that was my favourite," Langkilde says.

The beauty of the world's Pacific capital

Langkilde is currently on an exchange programme from the University of Hawai'i to Auckland University, having attended Harvard University prior to that.

This year is her first time both visiting Aotearoa and attending the Pasifika Festival. She says having travelled to Utah and Hawai'i, which are considered central hubs for Pacific peoples, that the Pacific presence in Auckland is stronger.

"It's beautiful to see the presence of Pacific Islanders here, which is different from the United States."

The consensus from those PMN spoke to, suggested Tuvalu's stage stood out from the rest, with their set design, and plethora of cultural paraphernalia adoring the walls.

Tuvalu stage. Photo/Aui'a Vaimaila Leatinu'u

Langkilde says she initially planned to attend the festival for a few hours but ended up leaving when it finished.

She says it helped her reflect on how large the Pacific community was.

"I don't know many people from Tuvalu and haven't come across a lot of them in the US.

"It was beautiful to see so many different Pacific cultures celebrated especially Pacific cultures in a diaspora.

"To see them have their own stages and see communities there to support them was really beautiful."