Hawaiian culture to be heralded at two Henderson festivals

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010 | 4:35 p.m.

Two festivals, one at Sunset Station and another at Lake Las Vegas, are bringing a taste of Hawaii to Henderson this weekend.

As he does every Saturday on KUNV 91.5 FM, Emory Nihipali Jr. plans to conjure “the spirit of aloha” at this weekend’s Little Grass Shack Hawaiian festival at Sunset Station.

Nihipali, who founded the Little Grass Shack radio show in 1999, and his crew will be leading the party from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Sunset Station is serving up a special buffet, and live acts hailing from the islands are scheduled to perform.

General admission is free. The Feast buffet is going Polynesian for the day and will feature dishes from Hawaii and other cultures in the Pacific Rim. The cost is $19. The buffet will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Nihipali, born in Hawaii, moved stateside when he was an infant, lived in Las Vegas during high school and came back as an adult because it’s still his hometown, Nihipali said. As he gained an appreciation for the valley’s reputation as Hawaii’s “Ninth Island,” the idea for the Little Grass Shack emerged.

Nihipali’s show on KUNV aims to share “the spirit of aloha” with its listeners, he said. Along with fellow disc jockeys Francis Paul Ganon and Ann Marie, both of whom have strong ties to the Islands, he said he hopes to “soothe people’s feelings and emotions.”

On Saturday, he wants a “family feel” – which is appropriate because Emory Sr. is producer, director and administrator for the Little Grass Shack.

“These days, people are very mad at the world,” said Nihipali, adding that he hopes to inject some “friendship and camaraderie” into Saturday’s event.

Elsewhere in Henderson, the spirit of the Islands also is descending on Lake Las Vegas at the ninth annual Hawaiian Isles Festival, taking place Saturday and Sunday.

Sponsored by the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club, the festival will feature its Outrigger Canoe Regatta, as well as cuisine, crafts and music from the 50th state. Admission is free.

The regatta celebrates Hawaii’s national sport: “Hoe Wa’a,” as outrigger canoe paddling is called. Proceeds from the festival benefit the club’s scholarship programs.

The festival, at The Village at Lake Las Vegas, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. For more information, call 702-564-4785 or visit the club’s website.