Samoan festival kicks off series

Advertiser Staff

A Samoan Festival today, with choirs, fire knife dancers and other artists and entertainers, kicks off a yearlong Hawai'i Ethnic Heritage Series of festivals.

The Pasefika Band, Kanana Fou Youth and the Polynesian Cultural Center Samoan entertainment troupe round out the bill at the 7 p.m. event at Honolulu Hale.

Admission is free to all the festivals in the series, which is presented by the City and County of Honolulu. Parking is free at the civic center parking garage, which is bordered by King, Alapa'i and South Beretania streets. The schedule for the other festivals:

• Okinawan: Aug. 17.
• Hispanic: Sept. 22.
• Korean: Oct. 5.
• Portuguese: Oct. 26.
• Tongan: Nov. 2.
• Puerto Rican: Nov. 9.
• Japanese: Jan. 11, 2002.
• Chinese: Feb. 22.
• Cambodian, Thai, Laotian: March 15.
• Afro-American: April 26.
• Vietnamese: May 17.

Call 523-4674 for information.