The Hawaiian Civic Club was busy setting up for the 18^th annual Pacific Island Festival in downtown Henderson on Friday.

Organizers say that this year’s will be a record breaker, quite a feat considering this is only the second year the festival has been held in this location.

 ”I think we’re going to bring out a big crowd, only because admission is free…and it’s a very family type setting,” Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club President Charles Herring said.

Herring is trying a few new things — Water St. will be shut down for the weekend to accommodate two performance stages, and there will be extra food vendors. This year’s festival will also feature “make it and take it” craft demonstrations with feathers, flowers and board games.

Many of the vendors, like gourd carver Ray Diaz, are visiting from California.  What Diaz says is different about this festival in particular, is that the majority of the vendors are not part of corporations.

“I would say that 99% of the vendors really enjoy themselves…you’ve got a few that work for a commercial company, and that’s just going to work for them, you know? But most of them, it’s their own thing,” Diaz explained.

Of course the biggest part of this festival, and any other, is the food.

“Oh the food…I really love the food.  I’m not big on sushi, but I like all the Polynesian chicken, teriyaki chicken, the beef, the bowls, that’s great. I look forward to eating that,” Diaz said.

The festival serves as the Civic Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and according to Herring, the money is used for scholarships and cultural speakers.

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