Hayward ~ You may have been to a luau, but have you ever tried a "lovo"? The Fijian lovo feast is one of many native traditions the public can experience at an upcoming, weekend-long festival that celebrates the area's growing Fijian-American community.

The Hayward-based Fiji Cultural and Sports Association will hold its third annual Fiji Festival from Friday through Sunday at several area venues. In addition to the lovo, highlights include soccer, rugby, volleyball and netball competitions; Fijian music and dance performances; island food vendors; and the crowning of Miss Fiji USA Charity Queen.

In addition to Fiji, the festival celebrates the South Pacific island traditions of Tonga, Samoa and Hawaii. This year's focus is on youth activities.

While the event -- the only such festival in the United States -- attracts Pacific Islanders from around the country, it's largely attended by the 100,000-some Fijian and Indo Fijians who reside in southern Alameda County, said association spokesman Ajeet Singh.

One of the festival's goals is to help unite the Fijian community, which is a melding of different races, religions and life experiences. Many Fijians are natives of India who were brought to the island to work in sugar cane plantations under slave-like conditions, Singh said. Some fled the island as a result of a 1987 military coup or a 2000 government decision to start taking back farmland, he added.

"The festival helps us come together and put our differences aside," Singh said. "We're all coming from the same motherland."

The festival is also about sharing and "promoting our culture" with the non-Fijian community, said Dam Vuniwai, another association leader, who added that the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

The Fiji Festival kicks off Friday with a golf tournament at Monarch Golf Course in San Leandro, followed by all-day festivals and sports competitions Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 per person.

Saturday's activities, which include a free health fair and a 1 p.m. opening ceremony led by Mayor Roberta Cooper, break at 5 p.m. They continue at the Grand Fiji Cultural Gala beginning at 7 p.m. at Holiday Bowl, 29827 Mission Blvd., Hayward. The $35 gala includes a lovo, entertainment and the Miss Fiji USA crowning.

Sunday's activities include final rounds of the sporting competitions, an antique car show, a 1 p.m. speech by former Fijian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and a 6 p.m. trophy presentation. An after-party is scheduled for 10 p.m. at Holiday Bowl. It costs $15.

For more information, call the association at 760-5435 or visit www.FijiFestival.com

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
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