FestPAC

The 28 hale, or houses, will dominate the floors of Festival Village at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Each Pacific nation and territory will have its own structure.

The mural, painted by several artists and volunteers over the last two weeks, stretches about 10 feet tall and a quarter mile long. It serves to reflect the rich culture of the Pacific Islands.

The volunteers will be in charge of helping more than 2,100 delegates from 26 Pacific nations and territories. Since each island has its own customs, volunteers underwent cultural etiquette training to better understand and help FestPAC participants.

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The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, the largest gathering of Pacific Islanders, is anticipated to draw more than 100,000 people and over 2,100 delegates from 26 Pacific nations and territories. Kiribati was the first nation to arrive on island, while others are expected to land later this week. The free 10-day festival starts June 6. HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports.

State and federal agencies are preparing for the influx of plant or animal products arriving from different regions for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture next month. DOA officials are working with festival organizers on possible replacements for invasive plants that can be used during the festival.

Festival Director Aaron Salā said despite the Pacific Islands' pull out from the festival, a hale will still be built for them at the Festival Village hosted at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

The world's largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders is less than three weeks away, and local festival planners say they're ready to host. One focus is building the festival village at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center where delegates will display their culture through performances and art. HPR's Cassie Ordonio explains what's been going on behind the scenes.

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Hawai‘i will host the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders for the first time in June. It's only three weeks away and officials are still looking for a handful of volunteers.