“In the Philippines, each town has a festival or a fiesta, often in honor of patron saints,” says Harry Guinocor, president of the Filipino-American Association of Memphis (FILAMemphis). “That’s the one thing that is very distinct about the Philippine culture — it’s fun, it’s entertaining.” That’s partly why, Guinocor says, FILAMemphis is hosting their first-ever Philippine Fiesta in Memphis this Saturday.
“We want to let Memphis know about the Filipino culture — that we’re a great addition to an already diverse community in Memphis,” he says. “We took inspiration from the other minority groups, like the Vietnamese, the Chinese, and then, of course, you have the Italian Fest, the Greek Fest. We felt like, ‘Let’s do our part.’”
The free event will feature a parade of Fiesta Queens in costumes that represent specific festivals held in the Philippines. The day will also have performances of various Filipino cultural dances, such as the tinikling, a bamboo dance, and the bulaklakan, a flower dance. Kids can enjoy activities like face-painting, and adults can partake in an open mic session with karaoke, “a beloved Filipino pastime,” Guinocor says.
Of course, the fiesta wouldn’t be complete without food. Kukuruku Crispy Chicken, a Filipino restaurant in Lakeland, is just one of the food vendors that will be present. “We will showcase a variety of Filipino cuisines, including lumpia, Filipino eggrolls; pancit, a dish of rice noodles with meat and vegetables; and lechon, roasted suckling pig,” he says. “Of course, we’re going to have boba. And one distinct flavor of boba we’re going to have is the ube, which is like taro. It’s a Filipino delicacy that’s taken the West and East coasts by storm because it’s something that’s kind of unique, kind of new. There’s actually going to be a store that’s going to be selling an ube crinkle as well.”
Guinocor adds that the festival will also host non-Filipino vendors, including Latino vendors. “The Philippines,” he points out, “has been under Spanish influence for about 300 years, so there’s a lot of Spanish influence that you’ll see at the festival.”
In all, though, the day is about having fun. “There’s always that sense of community during fiesta time,” Guinocor says. “That’s when everyone in the town comes together. So we hope that we can also bring that here in Memphis, that we can bring everyone in Memphis together.”
Philippine Fiesta, Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove, Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free.
