Draped in bright blooms and filled with the smell of kalua pork and mac salad, the Chiles Center is set to transport you to the beautiful islands that many UP students call home.
Through vibrant decor, artfully choreographed dances and traditional cuisine, UP’s Hawai’i Club is bringing the islands to the mainland.
The Hawai’i Club’s 48th annual lūʻau will be held in Chiles Center on March 28. Doors will open at 4 p.m., followed by dinner at 5 p.m. and performances at 6 p.m.
Tickets for students, staff, faculty and alumni can be purchased here for $15. General admission tickets are $30 for adults and $12 for children aged 3-12 and can be purchased here. The club will also be tabling around campus leading up to the event at times and locations posted to the club’s Instagram.
The lūʻau theme for this year is “Nā Mo’olelo o ka ‘Āina,” which translates to “stories of the land.” For Hawai’i Club Lūʻau Chair Caitlain Marie Julian, the theme is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the islands’ past and those who have called Hawai’i home.
The event will feature a variety of performances, including student-choreographed dances and a special fire dance performance. Vanessa Kimoto, Hawai’i Club lūʻau chair, is excited to share the dances with attendees.
“We have been practicing since the start of the semester, so it's really fun that we finally get to put on a big show for all of our friends and family,” Kimoto said. “A lot of our family comes up from Hawai’i for us, which is a really big deal because that's like halfway across the Pacific.”
In addition to multiple performances, the event will also feature a dinner service. The menu consists of traditional Hawaiian cuisine, with vegan options available as well.
According to Hawai’i Club Chair Skyla Oshiro, the lūʻau not only serves as a celebration of the club’s culture, but also helps alleviate some of the club member’s homesickness.
“It brings our culture and the way of life that we know to UP,” Oshiro said. “There's also a lot of kids from Hawai’i, and I feel that it helps bring a bit of home and a bit of familiarity, especially in the rainy, dark spring semester.”
The event relies on hard work from the committees within the Hawai’i Club like the decorations committee that creates a hand-drawn banner for the event.
“We get foliage and flowers from home shipped here, which is always something nice because it's a little bit of home that we get to share with everybody” Kimoto said.
For more information check out the club’s Instagram.
Elaina Thomas is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at thomasel27@up.edu.
