Pasifika Festival cancelled
Financial blow for stallholders
THE cancellation of this year’s Pasifika Festival in Auckland is expected to be a huge financial blow for some stallholders.
Dutchie Low, from Hawaiian Pineapple Hut, said he found out about the cancellation on Facebook, which was then followed by a few of his friends who were also stallholders texting him about the new plan.
“I was shocked. After 12pm, the Auckland Council decide to send an email to everyone that the festival is cancelled, but by then it was old news.
“I totally understand why it needed to be cancelled, but I just wish they did not do it with less than 24 hours until the festival kicks off.
“I have got around $8000 of stock such as pineapples, watermelons and ice-cream just sitting here now, and I am unsure of what to do with it all because I can't return it back to the store.
“I did keep in touch with the council through email asking them if the festival will be cancelled because of the coronavirus and if so please give us enough notice so that we don't lose out financially, but they kept reassuring us that it will still go on.”
Mr Low said he did not buy his stock the week before the festival because he had a feeling there was going to be a cancellation.
“I had pressure from my supplier saying if I don’t confirm my order, they will sell it, so I had to try keep my supplier happy, but at the same time trust the council’s word that they won’t cancel, even though I had my suspicions.
“I have a friend who was going to have a stall at the Maori village and she has $7000 worth of meat in her van. She was in tears when she heard the news.”
Company director of a Cook Islands’ clothing brand Mareko Island Creations, Mark Sherwin, said he had a feeling the event was going to cancel because of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
“We figured that there was a chance it was going to be dropped, but we still decided we’ll come over to New Zealand. I mean it’s a shame that it’s cancelled, but we totally understand.
“Before the festival, we were pushing our products online to sell and now that is the plan — to do more of that — seeing we can't sell our clothing range at Pasifika.
“We have asked the help of the Cook Island community in Auckland to find alternative locations for us to sell at as another option to help clear our stock. We have around $1000 worth of clothing in New Zealand and ideally we don't want to bring it all back to Rarotonga.
“We have been a part of Pasifika Festival for over 10 years and so it is sad to see it not happening, but I am happy to see New Zealand take a stand because of the Covid-19.”
Meanwhile, the Pacific Business Hub based in Manukau
City is opening its doors on Saturday to provide support to Pacific vendors left stranded by the cancellation.
“With continued vigilance, the chance of widespread community outbreak is expected to remain low. With that in mind, the Pacific Business Hub will open up its premises to hold a Pasifika pop-up market to allow our communities the opportunity to have stalls.”