Tafesilafa’i Pacific Islander Festival
Summer weather has been nothing but annoyingly hot. With that said, I of course almost decided not to go to Tafesilafa’i Pacific Islander Festival because it’d be outdoors, under the glorious sun. But I went because as hot as it was going to be, I knew it would only get hotter the following week. So, why not attend an event on a relatively cooler hot day?
I am not sure if there were a lot of attendees to this event. It’s possible it may have seemed as though there weren’t many attendees since it was hot and the average person probably didn’t want to stay put under the hot sun. People opted to hang out under the shade instead. I want to say what shade but there was shade to be found. The only downfall of the shady areas is that it’s far away from the stage. So, you had to choose between being under the hot sun or sitting in the shade away from it all…
You can guess what I opted for and let me just say that I had to apply sunscreen TWICE while there. Ugh. But hey, at least I got decent parking and you’ll be able to see the performers rather clearly in my video.
With the crazy heat, I obviously didn’t stay for the entire festival but here’s the gist of the festival:
Fashion Show – Lalelei Designs
A fashion show was held by Lalelei Designs. Three collections were included in the show. The models were attractive (obviously) and the clothing was unique. I found at least three pieces that I liked and would actually consider wearing. Her pieces are meant for summer weather wear and probably wouldn’t do as well when winter arrives. But it makes sense since her designs come from a place of Samoan (and Asian, Hispanic and African American) influence. Samoa doesn’t experience winter weather, right? And So Cal doesn’t really experience winter weather either except that it does get cool here in Winter.
Performances from Leiali’inani Polynesian Dance Academy
There were many performances from Leiali’inani Polynesian Dance Academy and the performers varied in age. One performance stuck with me due to all of the girls wearing Crocs and they all had that perfectly done bun. It was cute.
Performances from Tautua
The males performing after Leiali’inani Polynesian Dance Academy were from Tautua (YOUTH group affiliated with Second Samoan Church).
I think many of them were bothered by the heat. I can only imagine how hot it must have been to have danced barefoot and how hotter it may have felt to use up a lot of energy under the sun. There was a fan blowing on the stage but I doubt it really did much for them.
They got money from time to time during the performance(s) and I am assuming this money goes towards the church or something along those lines?
Vendors
There were vendors selling food, clothing and simply providing information (I think). I got hungry eventually and decided to get nachos from a vendor which was a big mistake. It was a mistake because the cheese wasn’t kept hot and the cheese didn’t taste like nacho cheese. It was more accurate to call it chips and cheese. I ate just a bit to eradicate my hunger. It was $5 which wasn’t a lot but a lot when you consider the fact that I ended up not being able to even finish half of it. I brushed off this thought when I told myself the festival was for free and that there was a chance that a portion of my $5 was going towards a good cause, possibly. (I don’t know, though…)
I thought about checking out some of the vendors more thoroughly but decided against it when I caught sight of a man that just kept giving me a look. I don’t know what the deal was with this person but there just always has to be at least that “one person” at events who just has to come off a little less than welcoming for whatever reason but whatever.
As mentioned earlier, I decided to leave early because it was too hot and as I write this, I can say that despite having put on sunscreen, my skin has definitely darkened from being under that scorching sun! Thank goodness the weather that day wasn’t as hot as it is now!
**Click HERE to watch my video of Tafesilafa’i Pacific Islander Festival!**