Creekfest at Porirua

13th March 2012

 

Pacific Island affairs minister Hekia Parata joined some of Porirua`s 12,000-plus Pacifica people to celebrate `Creekfest` at the weekend.

`Creekfest` is part of the much- bigger annual Pasifika Festival which is centred mainly in the Auckland area; and takes place in Cannons Creek, Porirua.

The Pasifika Festival began in 1992 and is now the most significant cultural festival in the South Pacific and the largest festival of its kind, attracting over 200,000 people each year.

“The Festival provides an opportunity for this younger generation to connect with their culture and heritage, as well as bring together all Pacific age groups to celebrate and showcase their diverse cultures of the Pacific.” Says Ms Parata.

Porirua has the fourth largest Pacific population, with the last Census showing that 12,267 Pasifika people lived in the city.

Creekfest, now in its eighth year, is a great opportunity for the community to come together and learn about healthy living.

“We need to encourage people, young and old, to lead active, healthy lives for the benefit of themselves and their communities.” She says.

The annual festival is to encourage Pacific communities across the country to celebrate their diverse cultures and be proud of what they offer to NZ society.

Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world and 67 percent of Pacific people, at the time of the last Census in 2006, lived in the city of sails, -many of them young people.