Cultural dance, music, food set for annual Merced fete
An annual cultural celebration known to draw people from out of the area is set for the weekend, when many will wear colorful garb and dance to pulsing drums.
The 36th annual Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday at Golden Valley High School, 2121 E. Childs Ave., and continues through the weekend. Past events have drawn about 1,200 people from across the state, and even the country, to face off in several cultural dance competitions.
Drums pound, hips shake and grass skirts sway through much of the festival. Also, vendors on hand sell island-style food, jewelry and dress. One popular item is the “pareu,” a Tahitian wraparound worn by men or women. The food menus usual offer kalua pig, salmon poke and Hawaiian shave ice.
Organizer Becky Manandic has said her organization, Te Mau Ta’ata Anuanua, or “People of the Rainbow,” estimates the event pumps $250,000 into the local economy through food, gas, hotels and other sales to dancers and their families.
“We don’t do this for ourselves, we do this for Merced every year,” she said. “And, we hope that (people) come and join in with us.”
During the festival, dancers in different categories from age 4 to older than 45 wear colorful skirts and decorated headdresses of feathers, flowers, straw and seashells. All of the performances are done to the beat of live drummers.
The Friday schedule offers an opening ceremony and a synchronized dance to a Tahitian singer. It also features the Maeva Merced Pageant, where young men and women contend for the title to represent the festivities as royalty.
The Saturday and Sunday events fill up much of each day with solo, team and other dance-offs. Saturday also features a competition among the crews that play the drums for dancers.
Tickets at the door are $15 for ages 5 to 12 and $17 for 13 and older.
For more on the event, call (209) 383-1435 or go to www.kikiraina.com.
Sun-Star staff writer Thaddeus Miller can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or tmiller@mercedsunstar.com.
This story was originally published March 18, 2015 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Cultural dance, music, food set for annual Merced fete."