Tonight, different groups including the Dragon Team, Poongmulpae, Pacific Flowers, Latte Vibe, Rota Jubiliant Mess, The Playmates and Aftena Regime will perform from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The festival will officially open at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The community will have the chance to enjoy more performances from the Koblerville Glee Club, New Generation, Chronos, Underground Production, Alana’ia Dancers, Falun Dafa Soli Dees, Cab Dancers, the Tinian delegation and the New Zealand delegation until 5:30 p.m.
From 6 p.m. tomorrow, more groups will provide entertainment including the Saiband, the Glushko Academy, the Japanese group, Pua Hinano, Latte Vibe and the Thyme Band.
The program will pick up from 10 a.m. up to 10 p.m. on Sunday with more performers including the Saipan Awaodori team, Saipan Music & Dance, Maluw Bank, Inatuas Cultural Dancers, Chocolate Factory and Island Warriors.
The nine-member delegation of performing artists from New Zealand arrived here on Wednesday morning while the 36-member Hula Dream Team from Fussa City in Japan are expected to arrive today.
The team from Japan will present traditional folk and Polynesian dances.
“We are very excited to welcome all our off-island delegates to the 30th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival. We are saddened, however, that the performing artists we expect from Palau, Guam, the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, Rota and Tinian had to pull out at the last minute due to lack of resources,” overall committee chairman Parker Y. Yobei said.
The Arts Council could no longer afford to cover these artists’ travel and accommodation expenses.
Arts Council Executive Director Angel S. Hocog urged the community to “just look at the brighter side of things and welcome wholeheartedly the delegations from New Zealand and Japan as well as support our talented local performers.”
He added, “I urge the community to watch our guests perform during the festival and extend our island hospitality to them. Let us support the advancement of arts and culture in the commonwealth by taking part in the 30th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival.”
The festival will have eight food vendors and 60 artist booths.
The Arts Council committee is also urging the community to buy raffle tickets for $5 each during the event. Attractive prizes are at stake including round trip tickets to the U.S. mainland and other items.
For more information, call 322-9982 or 83 or email [email protected].
