Gathering at The Children of the Land Polynesian Cultural Center in the Kaua‘i Village shopping center, spectators huddled around the central stage in anticipation of the royal procession marking the arrival of the royalty of Polynesia for the lu‘au and pa‘ina.

“We are inviting the community to come and meet the kings and queens of the Pacific Ocean nations, and to share who we are as The Children of the Land,” said Phil Villatora, director of The Children of the Land Polynesian Cultural Center, the event host and organizer, in a press release.

During the period leading to the arrival of the bus transporting the royalty from Waimea, a spectator noted that a festival featuring some of the royalty was to take place in Waimea Thursday night.

The Children of the Land students filled the afternoon air with sounds of Tahitian drums with Nani Rogers, labeled a chiefess, picking up where the drums left off with an offering of mele, or song, on the occasion of her birthday.

Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. was expected to address the visiting royalty, Rogers said. But the arrival of the delegations from Fiji, Tahiti and Tonga was delayed due to transportation problems and the timetable was pushed back.

Dallas Grady, a one-time resident of Fiji, was called on to narrate the official ‘awa ceremony greeting the royalty before the delegation adjourned for the formal potluck and lu‘au.

Students from The Children of the Land Polynesian Cultural Center after-school and summer programs offered the pre-lu‘au entertainment with Ta‘ere Tia‘i offering the headline presentation under the choreography of Pualani Avaeoru.

The Children of the Land Polynesian Cultural Center, Na Keiki o Ka ‘Aina, offers free classes and cultural events for children, visitors and adults, and is the only Polynesian cultural center on Kaua‘i.

Visit www.thechildrenoftheland.com for more information.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.