Predrag Cvetkovski, a Waikiki resident from Macedonia, attended the Festival of Pacific Arts &Culture opening ceremony with his wife Thursday, joining thousands of people at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center for the event, which was free to the public.

Cvetkovski said he learned about FestPAC from his wife, who wanted to attend the festival.

“Having lived in Hawaii, it’s so diverse, and there are so many cultures blooming here,” Cvetkovski said.

He attended the Merrie Monarch festival in Hilo earlier this year and was particularly excited about FestPAC, which is larger and features a variety of cultures in addition to Hawaii’s.

“We enjoy visiting different places and learning about the people and their diverse cultures, traditions and histories,” Cvetkovski said. “That’s what Hawaii is all about.”

The ceremony began with a formal parade of nations, beginning with Taiwan showcasing its traditional dances and presenting a gift to Gov. Josh Green.

The leader of Taiwan’s Indigenous people gave Green a framed leather carving made by the Paiwan tribe, showcasing three elements of the Paiwan culture: the sun, pottery and a bronze sword.

“It was very exciting and a little nerve-wracking, but it was more of a nervous excitement than anything negative,” said Djanaw Kavalan, a Taiwanese delegate.

Kavalan, 30, is a member of the Amis tribe, the largest Indigenous ethnic group in Taiwan.

“For us to represent Taiwan and be the first to perform, I feel very emotional,” he said. “It was very touching because we feel as if we are all connected to each other from all over the world — from all kinship groups and tribes.”

“To be around other Indigenous people and tribes, we can see all the beauty and feel the good energy.”

Each delegate presented gifts to Green: Delegates from Wallis and Futuna, a French island collective in the South Pacific, presented him with a kava plant root and traditional woven mats, while Tongan delegates gave 100 feet of tapa cloth made by 100 Tongan women.

Wallis and Futuna representatives thanked Green and other state officials for welcoming their delegates to the “beautiful country of Hawaii.”

Dozens of people cheered from the stadium bleachers, waving Tongan flags and cheering when the Tongan delegates came out.

Tongan delegate Kelepi Foliaki said it was emotional to see that most of the people cheering in the bleachers had never even visited Tonga.

“A lot of them were just Tongan kids raised by Tongan parents in Hawaii,” he said. “It’s so easy to connect; there’s always something to talk about. There are so many differences in cultures, and we’re constantly learning from others.”

Krystal Foliaki, another Tongan delegate, said she felt “very overwhelmed in a good way” during the ceremony.

“I’ve never been this up close with this many people from so many cultures,” Foliaki said. “Just today we made so many friends from Cook Islands, Rapa Nui, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Tahiti, all over.

“It’s so nice to see the communities coming out and supporting each other.”

Martin Moore from Palau, now residing in Diamond Head, attended the opening ceremony to experience “the largest gathering of Pacific Islanders in the world.”

Moore was eager to see more of FestPAC after attending the canoe ceremony Wednesday.

He had heard many great stories about the 2004 FestPAC hosted in his home country, and was excited to attend his first FestPAC in Hawaii, especially as a 12-year resident.

“For 28 of them to be here in one big room, exhibiting their cultures, embracing others’ cultures, is so beautiful,” Moore said.

He said with all the colors and traditional outfits, along with people showcasing their heritage, “there’s so much mana and it’s really amazing.”

Moore has family from Palau who flew in to Hawaii to participate in FestPAC as delegates, and he also has connections with delegates from Guam.

“FestPAC very much feels like a family reunion; the only thing missing is someone barbecuing,” Moore said.

Now living in Hawaii, Moore hopes to attend all 10 days of the festival and support all the delegations in any way he can as a good host.

“Celebrations like these really make me feel more at home. It’s so interesting to have this feeling of being at home in a place that’s not really my home,” he said.

Hearing his native languages and watching familiar performances at FestPAC, Moore called it an “experience that I won’t be able to get anywhere else.”

Papua New Guinea presented Green with a stone ax from the country’s highlands, a model of a Trobriand Islands yam house for food storage, a model of a Lakatoi sailing canoe and a Trobriand Islands chief’s chest ornament made with shell and beads.

Steven Enomb Kilanda, CEO of Papua New Guinea’s National Cultural Commission, said that early this week, leaders attending FestPAC held a minute’s silence in tribute to the landslide that killed 2,000.

“Our government is managing the landslide. It’s OK now,” Kilanda said. “People from all over are also helping, so we are grateful.”

“We came out here to represent and showcase our culture, so we are here to make our family back home proud by being in Hawaii.”