Matai Saunoa, left, and Keoni Wong, right, perform with the Alaska Tamafai Kids Ministry dance group during the Aloha Music Festival in Alaska in Anchorage on Saturday. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
A car park in northeastern Anchorage on Saturday was transformed into a small festival venue featuring Polynesian art, dance groups and musicians.
The Aloha Music Festival in Alaska began in 2015 as a way to bring the best of Hawaii to Alaska and to share aloha culture and spirit with the Anchorage community, organizer Tasha Kahele said. She and her family own local businesses Lei’s Poke Stop, Da Poke Man Express food truck and Kahele Investments.
The event, held outside Lei’s Poke Stop by Tikahtnu Commons, was blessed during the Wah Ngai Lion Performance and Commitment followed by numerous dance performances and a musubi eating contest, where contestants tried out as many rice, seaweed and Eating spam. as they could in five minutes. The popular Hawaiian band Maoli was seen as a headline.
People take part in the Wah Ngai Lion Performance and Commitment at the start of the Aloha Music Festival in Alaska in Anchorage to the event that blessed Saturday. The lion was brought to Alaska from Malaysia. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Elsie Mahi watches the stage as people prepare to compete in a musubi dining competition. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
People are thrilled to watch the Ladies of the Pacific Dance Group perform. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Members of the Pacific Women’s Dance Group perform during the Aloha Music Festival in Alaska. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Haaheo Kanohokula raises his daughter, Healani Faaaliga-Kanohokula, in the air. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
The stage is called musubi trays as people prepare to compete in a musubi eating contest. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Stunna Iakopo drinks water while competing in a $ 250 musubi dining contest and other prizes. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Youngsters go on a musubi tray left over from a rival. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
