Media release
6 March 2013

Pack your kete for Pasifika

If you’re heading to Pasifika Festival this weekend, come prepared to make the most of the two day event celebrating Auckland’s unique Pacific heritage and culture.

With thousands of people expected at the festival, event organiser Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) recommends you plan ahead.

“Pasifika Festival is like no other event. It’s best to have a plan to get there, as well as how you’re going to soak up as much of the experience as possible,” says Stan Wolfgramm, ATEED’s Pasifika Event Producer.

Plan your journey – visit www.at.co.nz to check bus and train timetables. If you need to bring your car think about parking options because spaces will be limited.

There will be some road closures around the event to ensure safety which may affect your route to the festival. Stadium Road will be closed from 5pm on Friday, 8 March until 7pm on Sunday, 10 March.
Great North Road (between Motions and St Lukes roads) will be closed from 5am to 9am on Saturday, 9 March.
Bullock Track will be closed from 9am to 5pm on both days. Resident access will be from the Mill Road end of Bullock Track.

Plan your itinerary – allow at least three hours at the festival to get a taste of all the Pacific Islands and what the villages have to offer. There will be different performances over the two days so consider coming on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday is the traditional Pasifika Festival – a bustling market place and a great line up of song and dance performances in all 10 villages.

Sunday features a combined church service in the morning, followed by another day of great food, stalls and performances in the Aotearoa, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue villages, as well as the Pan Pacific village.
The festival will be open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, 9 March and 10am to 4pm on Sunday, 10 March. The combined church service featuring a 300 strong choir will be held from 9am to 10am on Sunday at the Prosperity Stage.
Pack a bag – with sunscreen, hat and cash (there will be some EFTPOS and cash-out facilities but these will incur a transaction fee). Care is taken to ensure the event is affordable.

Pasifika is a great for families and an alcohol-free event. There may be bag searches.

Visit www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika to find out more.

Ends

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