Marton will hold its first Samoan Independence Day celebrations this weekend.
The event kicks off at 10am on Monday at Centennial Park and will include a church service, cultural performance and an umu (the Samoan equivalent of a hangi).
Farani Va'a from the organising committee said the Rangitikei district's Samoan population was now about 1000 - many of them attracted by jobs at Anzco meatworks in Marton.
"It's a growing population," Mr Va'a said.
"[Mayor] Andy Watson came to us and said, 'We would like to do something for the Samoan community'. So we decided to have a festival for Independence Day. We're hoping it will become an annual event."