World Fireknife Championship Lights Up At Cultural Center

The annual fireknife action gets under way this week at Polynesian Cultural Center, offering four busy days of competition and fiery entertainment at the North Shore attraction.

The 21st annual World Fireknife Championship and “We Are Samoa” festival open at 7:45 tonight (May 8) with the senior division preliminaries at the Samoan Village, followed by the junior, senior and open group competitions at 7:45 p.m. Thursday.

The senior finals and crowning are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Pacific Theater.

The “Ha: Breath of Life” evening show will be staged both nights during intermission. (Separate tickets costing $45 and up are required for this show.)

The Samoan Cultural High School Arts Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Pacific Theater, where students will demonstrate their knowledge of Samoan traditions (protocol, speech making, basket weaving, coconut husking, fire making, costuming poise, dance movements and interpretation).

Admission is $10 for ages 12 and older, and $6 for ages 5-11.

For more information, call 293-3333.