A little bit of the Pacific islands is coming to Turlock Sept. 7 as the First United Methodist Church is hosting a community luau.

The Pacific Islander Youth groups from the Holy Cross United Methodist Church in Stockton will be the special guests for the community luau. The event will include cultural dances and a special luau-themed meal.

Kristine Latuhoi said that the youth groups will perform dances from a variety of Pacific island cultures including Hawaiian and Polynesian.

“Just like hula, every hand movement represents a certain word or phrase that ties back to our ancestors and original beliefs,” said Latuhoi.

The youth groups first started getting involved in cultural dancing in 2021 and now travel the area to share the experience with others. Latuhoi said the families put a lot of work into making sure the dance outfits are authentic to the cultures.

The last time that the Pacific Islander Youth groups were in Turlock was in 2022, after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai Volcano erupted underwater and caused tsunamis in Tonga, Fiji, American Samoa, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Japan and as far south as Peru. The eruption was the largest explosion recorded in the atmosphere by modern instrumentation. The 2022 community luau benefited disaster relief efforts in the Pacific islands. This year’s event will benefit the youth groups.

Beginning in 2005, Holy Cross UMC has been a home for Pacific Islander worship in the region, with a large contingent of islanders and a Tongan language pastor restarting that ministry in 2018.

The community luau will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 at FUMC Turlock, 1660 Arbor Way, Turlock. The menu is expected to include cultural specialties like whole roasted pigs, green mussels from New Zealand, lau (slow cooked meat and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves) from Samoa, along with more American-friendly dishes like sweet potatoes, barbecued chicken and rice.

Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased in the church office or at: https://auctria.events/FUMCLuau