Henderson festival to celebrate Hawaiian culture

By Erin Dostal

Friday, Sept. 10, 2010 | 1:55 a.m.

Henderson is hosting the Prince Jonah Ho’olaule’a Pacific Islands Festival this weekend – an event celebrating native Hawaiian culture.

The event will include Hawaiian language workshops, authentic Hawaiian performances, and a cultural section called Na Mea where visitors can make leis and watch demonstrations, said Tamar Hoapili, president of the Las Vegas Hawaii Civic Club.

The event at Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St., will last from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

The event started 20 years ago in Las Vegas because its founders thought “we need to start something that will help perpetuate, and keep our Hawaiian culture alive,” Hoapili said.

“We all moved here for economic reasons,” she said. “What we didn’t move here for was to give up our culture.”

This is the fourth year the event will be held in Henderson, Hoapili said. She said the event will feature a variety of food including authentic Hawaiian, American and Korean treats.

“The festival started off with about 10 to 15 vendors,” she said. “Now, it’s over 100.”

The event will feature dance teams, bands and hula performers – many from Hawaii.

There will also be a health fair, Hoapili said. Because Hawaiians have a higher rate of diabetes and heart disease, specialists will be on hand to give out information and provide screenings, she said.

Last year 40,000 people attended the event, said Nicole Johnson, communications specialists for the cultural arts and tourism department at the City of Henderson. Johnson said she expects this year’s attendance to be the same.

Hoapili estimated that there are more than 100,000 native Hawaiians living in Southern Nevada. “They call it the ninth island,” she said.

All proceeds from the weekend’s event will go toward the Las Vegas Hawaii Civic Club Founders Scholarship. During the past 20 years, Hoapili said, the scholarship has provided more than $50,000 for college-bound students.