What's On: Pasifika Fusion Festival on this weekend in Whangārei

Performers from the Niue Youth Group at last year's festival. Photo/Michael Cunningham

Whangārei locals won't need to book a flight to enjoy the Pacific Islands this weekend - all you'll need is a way to get to Hihiaua Peninsula.

The Northland Pasifika Fusion Festival is on for the fifth time tomorrow from 10am to 3pm.

Festival director Pania Moulton, whose nana was Niuean Samoan, said the event was all about celebrating Pasifika culture.

"It's being able to share our cultures and experiences with each other because our cultures are very similar in some ways. The Māori culture is so big and proud and the Pacific culture is as well. We're in to colour big time."

This year the Samoan community are hosting the event and will lead the festival opening with a traditional ava ceremony at 9am.

This ceremony marks the handing over of the Hihiaua reserve to the Pacific peoples for the day, as a sign of respect.

Other islands represented at the festival - which attracted 12,000 people last year - include Niue, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Tahiti and Aotearoa.

Moulton said at the event there will be a passport competition running which requires people to visit all nine villages and ask for a question, write down the answer to that question and put the village's symbol next to it.

"I wanted to get more people engaging with the villages. So I've been saying you basically get to go around the Pacific in one day and visit all the islands without having to purchase plane tickets," she said.

As usual there will be a range of entertainment including performances from each village.

Auckland band Resonate, who were acknowledged by Ellen DeGeneres after their mash-up of Moana songs went viral online, will also be performing at the event.

Moulton said there will be lots of delicious food, as usual.

She said unless there was a Civil Defence warning, or they were advised not to hold the event, it will go ahead - rain, hail or shine.

For more information visit facebook.com/northlandpasifikafusionfestival/