Las Vegas may be situated smack dab in the middle of the desert but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a little island fun during your stay here. And this weekend you can enjoy the bright lights of the city while also escaping to the tropical island of Hawaii during the Pure Aloha Festival at the Rio.

Beginning today, the Rio Las Vegas is saying “aloha!” all weekend long as the Pure Aloha Festival, presented by Vizzun Entertainment dances its way into the city. The biannual event features more than 100 island craft & merchandise booths, authentic food vendors and amusement rides. And like everything Las Vegas puts on, this Aloha Festival is chalk full of food and entertainment you just can’t find anywhere else, except for Hawaii of course!

As far as entertainment goes, guests can watch the Hula dance as dance groups from across the country perform the popular Hawaii dance. The 45-minute performance features as many as 170 hula dancers, aged 3 to 80.

There will also be plenty of concerts available for an additional fee. On Friday night, the international recognized Hawaiian and reggae music artist J Boog will perform his hits. More Hawaiian music comes on Saturday with Willie K, who is known for everything from Hawaiian music to jazz and opera. Doors open at 6 p.m. on both nights.

In between hula dancers and concerts make sure you stop by some of the 100 vendors for crafts you can only find in Hawaii or Polynesia such as authentic wood carvings, bone-carved necklaces and Koa bowls.

If you’re more interested in the Hawaiian food at this year’s Pure Aloha Festival you certainly won’t be in want of good food as 25 vendors will be cooking up dishes from the many nationalities represented in Hawaii, including Samoan, Korean, Japanese, Tongan, Filipino and more. And it’s not a Hawaiian festival without some of the traditional Hawaiian fare including white rice, macaroni salad and lots of barbecue.

The festival has been a tradition for 11 years in Las Vegas. This weekend’s festivities mark the seventh annual fall event. It started at The Cannery, moved to the Silverton and this year has found a new home at the Rio, a location where Vizzun Entertainment hopes the festival can enjoy many more successful years.

Pure Aloha Festival at the Rio runs Oct. 11 – 12 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Las Vegas, NV 10/11/12

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