NEWS RELEASE
15 January 2009

Absolutely positively Pacific times ahead for Wellington

Music, crafts and mouth-watering food will bring a taste of the Pacific to
Waitangi Park all day Saturday 31 January during this year's Niu FM
Positively Pasifika festival.

Communities from the seven Pacific Island nations - Tuvalu, Tonga, Niue,
the Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji and Tokelau - are putting on a day of
traditional and contemporary entertainment from 9.30am-5pm.

Mayor Kerry Prendergast says she is looking forward to checking out all
the stalls and performances of the packed-out schedule.

"This is only the second year that we have held the Pasifika festival in
Wellington, and people are already talking about it because of its success
last year," she says.

"This is a great way for Wellingtonians to celebrate the Pacific nations'
influence on our culture. So put on your lava lava and get down to the
park for a relaxing slice of island life."

An opening prayer will kick off the day at 9.30am before a mix of
contemporary and traditional performances by young Islanders. The official
opening ceremony just before 11am will involve a cast including the
chairperson of the Pacific Advisory Group, Mayor Prendergast, the Pacific
Islanders' Presbyterian Church Choir and the Reverend T Tofilau.

Each Pacific Island nation will then take turns on stage - most presenting
traditional performances such as Niue's Takalo War Dance and a Fatele
dance from Tuvalu. More performances on the youth stage will follow before
a grand finale by Pacific reggae group Three Houses Down at 4pm.

But it's not all about performances - don't forget to sample some of the
delicious island cuisine and check out what the craft stalls have to
offer. Just go along and have an absolutely positively Pacific day.

More details are available in NZCT Summer City brochures, which are
available from Council service centres, libraries, pools and cafés around
town. You can also check out details of the NZCT Summer City festival on
the Council website, www.Wellington.govt.nz

ends

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