Tau Matari'i i ni'a – 2nd Annual Cultural Festival

Tahiti's second annual traditional cultural festival Tau Matari'i i ni'a will run through Dec. 15, 2007. The cultural festival has gone through a new name but the purpose is the same – to encourage cultural discovery. This year's festival program of events offers a variety of mostly free discoveries for both residents and tourists.

Activities on November 12-13 will feature harvesting workshops at the Harrison Smith Botanical Garden in the Papenoo Valley on Tahiti's north coast.

Among the many discovery activities include a film festival Nov. 15-17 at Place Vaiete along the Papeete waterfront where several locally produced short films and documentaries will be shown. From Nov. 17-24 there will be cultural entertainment at the Papeete Public Marketplace, including performances by traditional Tahitian dancing and singing groups. Concurrently, live entertainment will be featured at the Papeete Cultural Center along the waterfront.

A night of traditional Tahitian "himene tarava" singing will be presented on Nov. 30 at Place Vaiete. The participating groups will include Te Ui Api no Arue", which won top honors during July's Heiva.

On Dec. 8, traditional fruit-carrier's races and free tastings of traditional meals will be offered at the Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands in Tahiti's west coast community of Punaauia. Additional entertainment will be provided by dance schools.

Delegations from Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Easter Island will join the entertainment and workshops on traditional dancing, language, mythology, genealogy and navigation from Dec. 9-12 at the Fare Hape village in Papenoo on Tahiti's north coast.

Finally, from Dec. 13-15, the visiting delegations will join in a seminar at the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti on the north coast. The delegations will share their culture during workshops initiating visitors to making dance costumes, weaving, sculpture, singing and dancing.

Visit the official website for more information and details (In French)