A Palolo Festival is happening in Savaii, an effort by the Savaii Hotel Association to inject life back into their hotels.
Palolo is the delicacy produced from coral spurning twice a year, in October and November.
Samoa Observer reports the festival is the combined effort of Savai’i Hoteliers to take advantage of the palolo hunters from Upolu island.
The Vāimoana Resort at Asau on the north western coast of the big island will be the first to roll out the welcome mat for visitors on Wednesday.
Owner Tupa’i Saleimoa Vaai, who is also the Chair of the Savaii Hotels Association, says this is the most opportune time for Savaii to host a festival like this to capture the ‘’spike’’ in visitors from Upolu.
The aptly named popular band Poly Flavor will highlight the celebrations of Samoan culture and traditional performances.
“We wanted to create something that is uniquely Savaii and celebrate the gift of palolo with a festival,” Tupa’i said.
Hotel guests at the Palolo Festival will be taken through the preparations and rituals associated with the rising.
Demonstrations on the making of floral garlands or ula will be highlighted with making the nets used to scoop the delicacy out of the ocean as the coral releases them on the reef.
Guests and visitors will then be invited to join the locals in locations where the palolo is harvested in Asau and surrounding villages.
The delicacy is expected to rise October 8 and 9 this year.
Other resorts like Amoa Resort on the East coast and the Manase Beach resorts and beach fales will also be welcoming visitors with their own traditional contributions for the festival.
The November rising is expected a month later on the 7th and 8th.
