Hawaiian Luau at Fort Langley

The Fort Langley National Historic Site hosts a Hawaiian Luau event each year. It celebrates the history and contributions of Hawaiians in the area.

In 2025 the event was the Hoʻopili Me Aloha. Connect with Love: A Two-day Celebration of Polynesian and Hawaiian Culture. It happened on the weekend of July 12th and 13th. Dates for the event in 2026 are to be confirmed.

See the Fort Langley National Historic Site‘s website for details about the two-day celebration of Polynesian and Hawaiian culture.

Hawaiian Luau Event at Fort Langley

The Hawaiian Luau event at Fort Langley gives attendees the opportunity to experience Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. Organizers held the inaugural event in May, 2024 on the Saturday of the Victoria Day long weekend. In 2025, they held the event on July 12th and 13th. It’s a collaboration between the fort and The Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society.

The history of Hawaiian immigrants in BC is generally not as well-known as other groups. Thousands of Hawaiians made their way to the West Coast in the 19th century, most of them to work for the Hudson Bay Company. During that time the Gulf Islands became known as “Little Hawaii” for how many of the newcomers lived there.

One of the other hotspots was Fort Langley. Two Hawaiians were in the original Hudson Bay Company group sent to establish the fort. Many Hawaiians worked there during the fur trade.

Today, the Hawaiian-Canadian community celebrates its roots and its part in the history of BC with a luau event at the fort. There are educational presentations, public workshops and traditional dancing.

Where and When

The first modern-day Hawaiian Luau event to celebrate the historic relationship between the fort, Hawaii and Hawaiians was in May, 2024. In 2025 the event took place on July 12th and 13th.

This past year, thanks to the Canada Strong Pass, admission was free for everyone throughout the summer. The special festivities were free as well, although there were ticketed workshops on July 12th.

The workshops cost $100 per person and there weren’t many spaces. There were two workshops to choose from, each of which ran from 9:00 am to noon, and again from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. One option was Coconut Hat Weaving with Mario Siatris. The other option was Braided Lei Making with ‘U’i Kahue.

See the Fort Langley National Historic Site‘s website for details about the two-day celebration of Polynesian and Hawaiian culture.

The Fort Langley Luau

The luau has different activities going on throughout the event. It’s a showcase of Hawaiian culture and a chance for visitors to learn about both the history of the area and the Hawaiian community. Expect to see demonstrations, storytelling sessions, language lessons and live performances. This past year there was also a Native Hawaiian Artisan Market that happened from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Confirmed performers on the first day in 2025 were the Hālau Hula KaʻUhane O Ka Pākīpika (hula dancers) and the Langley Ukulele Ensemble. On the second day, there was storytelling with Auntie Kate and performances by Hālau Hula KaʻUhane and Hui Hula O Saltspring.