Linfield College will host the 42nd annual lu’au celebration, “Keiki ‘O Ka ʻĀina,” with live music from Hawaiian duo Hema Pa‘a, on Saturday, May 3. A Hawaiian dinner at 5 p.m. will be followed by a live performance at 7:30 p.m.
For more than four decades, Linfield students have brought the aloha spirit to enthusiastic regional and campus crowds. More than 70 students will share dances and music from the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. This year’s theme, “Keiki ‘O Ka ʻĀina,” translates to children of the land. The evening will include a fire knife dance performed by a Linfield student and other traditional dances, including a Samoan dance.
The dinner will be catered by Ohana Café and served by Linfield students, and will feature a number of traditional Hawaiian dishes. Dinner will be served from 5 and 7 p.m. in the Rutschman Field House, with dinner service ending at 6:45. The “Country Store” will open at 5:30 p.m., also in the Rutschman Field House. The store features foods, leis and gifts donated from Hawaiian companies, with proceeds helping cover event costs. There will also be a concession stand available during the performance. The live performance will be held in the Ted Wilson Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event includes pre-show entertainment.
The event will also feature live Hawaiian music by Hema Pa‘a, featuring Baba Alimoot and Chris Kamaka. Kamaka is the father of Linfield junior Ihilani Kamaka, who is co-chairing the lu’au along with junior Jonah Flores.
The annual lu’au has been organized by members of the Linfield Hawaiian Club, Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian alike, with students involved in all aspects of the production including choreography. New dances are created each year, and student performers began rehearsals in early February.
Many parents of Linfield students help with the event, buying Hawaiian fabric, sewing costumes and collecting donations from Hawaiian companies and the Linfield community. They also gather foliage and leis and coordinate shipments to McMinnville.
General admission tickets for the performance are $15. Tickets for both the show and dinner are $25 for general admission and $28 for reserved seats. Student and senior (60+) tickets are $18 and $20, and require I.D. Children’s tickets are $10 and $15. Children under age two, seated on their parents’ laps, are admitted free without a meal. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11, and can be purchased at www.linfieldtickets.com.
The event is sponsored by the Linfield College Hawaiian Club, and the Multicultural Programs and College Activities offices. For more information, visit www.linfield.edu/activities/luau or call 503-883-2435.