The public is invited to attend the 16th annual Philippine Summer Festival, hosted by the Philippine American Society (PAS) of Palm Beach County, on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival will be held indoors at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Enter through Gate 8.
This year’s festival, with a theme of “Filipiana,” is dedicated to providing scholarships to deserving local Filipino students and to financially support the creation of a much-needed Mission Hospital in Pambujan, Northern Samar — one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
The opening ceremony will kick off at 10 a.m. with a traditional Catholic Filipino mass delivered in Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines. Festival attendees can see cultural shows, traditional dancing demonstrations and heritage clothing worn by local Filipinos.
Guests can taste authentic cuisine, listen to Filipino music, and hear speeches about the country’s culture. Children can participate in traditional Filipino games.
Admission is $8 per person, with children ages 7 and under admitted free.
Filipinos around the world will celebrate the country’s Independence Day six days after the festival on June 12. This year’s festival once again gives recognition to this important part of the Philippines’ history.
Vendors and sponsors for this year’s festival are still welcome, and sponsorship information can be obtained by contacting Mercy Abellana at (561) 315-2316.
For information about the festival, contact Marlyn Sepanik at (561) 289-0837, Christina Regino at (561) 723-9323 or Conchita Mateo at (561) 386-1209.
ABOVE: Mercy Abellana, JoJo Bendico and Marlyn Sepanik at the 2014 festival.
