The Philippine Festival and how to celebrate Fil-Am Heritage Month
Lechon, lumpia, and kalamansi - it's time to celebrate Filipino-American heritage!
A Filipino party is not a Filipino party without the essentials: OPMs (original Pinoy music), a roasted lechon, and good vibes. This month, as we celebrate Filipino-American Heritage Month, a lineup of exciting Filipino-centered activities and events are filling up the October calendar! From Filipino food-inspired weekend festivals and palengkes, to cultural excursion activities, here are some events and ways you can celebrate Filipino-American Heritage month.
Thanks to the mastermind of Augie, a wonderfully charming woman who runs and owns the Lower East Side Filipino cafe Kabisera, the Philippine Festival is happening this month with a wide range of food and markets, block parties, and events filled with activities that will warm your nostalgia or teach you something about Filipino culture. The first weekend of October, the Lumpia Festival happened at Canal Street market - an all-lumpia inspired fest with Filipino-owned vendors such as Pandayo NYC (they have some of the most innovative fillings for their puto), Kasama rum (a female-founded rum company brewing their stuff authentically and ethically in the islands), and LechonBae (their stall featuring the classic roasted lechon, golden brown and on display on banana leaves).
The event was sponsored by the release of a new film, “Lumpia with a Vengeance” which are in selected cinemas across the US until October 13. Watch the trailer and purchase tickets here!
Next, there was the Kalamansi Festival (kalamansi is a Philippine lime, typically used to elevate certain dishes) in which a whole block was rented and featured some of the same vendors. Echoing through the East Village are music and warm vibes as the sun shone amidst the dropping temperatures of the changing season, and the Filipino community mingling in the crowd thrived.
This upcoming weekend, we next have the Ube Festival - another market that’s all-ube inspired. This will be held in Williamsburg at the weekend Smorgasburg. Aside from Filipino food-inspired festivals, there will also be Pamayanan October 15-16, a free cultural event featuring live music, tinikling lessons, food vendors, performances, and more! This event is organized by Sarinya, the badass woman behind @angryasianwomxn who gives out free self-defense kits to AAPI-identifying women (read more about her in the Creator Highlight).
I noticed, as my readership is growing, that several of my subscribers are based out of New York City (I see you, California!). With the intention of including everyone in the festivities for Filipino-American Heritage Month, my girl Krystl has created a list of events all over the US that you can check out!
If some of these events are not accessible to you, there are a few ways you can still get in on the celebration.
Reconnect. Revive. Revolutionize.
These are the three words to remember when it comes to celebrating culture - and it’s not just Filipino culture, but applies to all immigrant cultures we respectively celebrate in the US. Reconnect, revive, and revolutionize. As we go forth this October in celebrating Filipino-American Heritage, as I had mentioned I will be in conversation with Filipino-Americans who have made the effort to make a contribution to and for the Filipino community.
Reconnect. There are many ways you can reconnect with your own culture. A great example is in my latest podcast, in which I sat down with Paul Jochico in discussing how he reconnects with his indigeniety through his work as a yoga and dance instructor. He mentioned in the podcast that you can also connect with your roots through food and explained he used to cook with his mother and learn more about her life in the Philippines. Feel free to the full conversation here.
Revive. Remember our history. My last post was about the history not often talked about in history books or in schools on how America took the Philippines from Spain and became an unincorporated territory. The experience has had an impact on the way the Philippines is viewed, as well as on Filipino culture and media. Read the rest.
Revolutionize. Take what you learn and turn it into something that will have a positive contribution to our community. This newsletter started from my passion, love, and intention to learn more about my identity and roots, sharing what I learn from speaking to other Filipinos on the same path as me.
Do you have any other ways or know of any events that celebrate Filipino-American Heritage Month? Share your thoughts:
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