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Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
A foam machine will be set up in the middle of the Harris Riverfront Park field Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau.
A water slide will be set up Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Bouncy houses will be set up Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
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Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
A foam machine will be set up in the middle of the Harris Riverfront Park field Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau.
A water slide will be set up Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Hawaiian Island Entertainment will perform Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
Bouncy houses will be set up Saturday at the Foam and Glow Luau at Harris Riverfront Park.
HUNTINGTON — It will be a busy weekend in the Jewel City over the next few days, and that will include a new event at Harris Riverfront Park called Huntington’s Foam and Glow Luau.
Created by Imperial Entertainment, a new company in town, this family-friendly event will take place from 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 3.
During the day, true Hawaiian entertainment will be featured, including professional hula dancers, a Samoan fire and knife performance, hula dance lessons for all, ukulele lessons (bring your own ukulele), hula-hoop contests and more. The kids in attendance will also enjoy the 50-foot water slide, face painting, a dunk tank, a bouncy house, Hawaiian costume contest, games and more.
Then, as night falls, there will be an all-ages EDM (electronic dance music) rave at 10 p.m. that will include a live DJ, a foam machine, a neon paint canon and a light show with fog and confetti and more interactive havoc. Because of all the wackiness at the EDM rave, be sure to wear clothes that can handle wet paint and more. There will be plenty of space, however, for those who want to dance and stay dry.
All of this takes place at Harris Riverfront Park. Kids 5 and younger are admitted free; otherwise, tickets are $10 for general admission and $20 for VIP. Participants must be 21 or older to consume adult beverages, and there will be vendors onsite.
The Huntington-based Imperial Entertainment company is run by Nathan Carter and Anthony DeFrancisco. Carter grew up in nearby Greenup County, Kentucky, and moved to Huntington in 2011, while DeFrancisco is originally from outside of Philadelphia but moved here as a kid and graduated from Cabell Midland High School.
Carter and DeFrancisco started Imperial Entertainment in January 2021 after joining together to create events in the two years prior to that, which sparked the idea to form a new company.
“For two years, we practiced creating events by throwing our own backyard parties and miniature festivals in our neighborhood, and we got really good at it,” said Carter. “So, we decided in 2021 that with the end of the pandemic approaching, we thought it would be a good time to take advantage of that market because we knew that whenever events were ready to come back, they would come back hard because people were ready to get back out there and start having fun again. Now, we plan to bring new ideas and events to the Tri-State area on a regular basis, and this authentic Hawaiian Luau is the beginning of that process.”
Carter and DeFrancisco met nine years ago in Huntington.
“Back in 2013, we were both working in a local call center, and we also worked other multiple jobs together, and we often talked about the dream of starting a business, but we didn’t know what we wanted to do,” said DeFrancisco. “When the pandemic happened, we originally ran events with people that we were close to while we followed the guidelines. But once the lockdown was lifted, we thought, ‘Hey, we had fun doing this and miss putting on these events and getting people together, so let’s do that.’ It was Nate’s idea, and I said, ‘I’m down with it.’”
When concocting the concept of this new Hawaiian Foam and Glow Luau, Carter and DeFrancisco wanted to go for the real thing and not fall into the trap of cultural appropriation. So, they reached out to Hawaiian Island Entertainment Inc., which is based in Hawaii, who agreed to bring their show to Huntington.
“Hawaiian Island Entertainment, who also go by the name ‘huladancers.com,’ are from Hawaii, and they travel the nation presenting the most authentic Hawaiian luaus that they can do,” said DeFrancisco. “But they have never been to Huntington, so this will be their debut in our beautiful state, and we are really excited to bring them in. It was very important to us that we keep this luau authentic because we wanted the culture that is presented to be genuine. We weren’t going to slack off on the entertainment we presented whatsoever. The highlight of people wanting to come to this is that they know the Hawaiian festivities will be real. In a way, this will provide a vacation experience without having to go any farther than our local park.”
The all-ages EDM rave that begins at 10 p.m. will be a chance for folks to let go in a safe environment and dance a late summer’s night away while surrounded by positive hullabaloo.
“We have a foam machine that will be dead center in the middle of the Harris Riverfront Park field, and we are going to get out there with folks with water guns and paint and spray everybody down and play some music,” said DeFrancisco. “It will be a great time and a fitting end to a wonderful and exciting day.”
“It is gong to be fun for the staff and fun for everybody in attendance,” adds Carter. “But even if folks do not want to be involved with the foam and craziness, it’s going to be a high-energy dance party. We just want everyone to relax and cool off. The weather is unpredictable here, so whether it rains or shines, we will put on the best show that we can do. We want folks to let go and be themselves for those last two hours, and a part of that is putting together a pre-designated set list of music that will be safe and fun for all ages who want to dance.”
On a smaller scale, Imperial Entertainment’s birthday party division is now open for booking as well.
As for the Hawaiian Foam and Glow Luau and EDM rave, re-entry will be allowed with event wristbands for those who want to take in the luau in the afternoon and then come back for the dance party at 10 p.m.
For more information on tickets, visit facebook.com/ImperialEventsWV.
For more information on tickets, visit facebook.com/ImperialEventsWV.
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