The annual Manitoba Filipino Street Festival kicked off Saturday morning with a parade in downtown Winnipeg culminating into a full festival mode at Memorial Park.
The event which celebrates Filipino culture and heritage is the 6th annual festival celebrating Filipino culture, heritage and cuisine. The festival features local artists, singers and the participation by over 50 Filipino community organizations.
The event has for its biggest sponsor The Filipino Channel (TFC), ABSCBN’s Filipino Channel 2 broadcast from the Philippines. TFC which is widely watched on Canadian cable networks, also arrange the attendance to the festival of TFC talents from the Philippines.
For this year, the special guest performer was Filipino-born Canadian singer and actress Ma-Anne Dionisio. She sang O Canada and Lupang Hinirang, the national anthems of Canada and the Philippines, respectively, while the 60′ x 40′ Philippine superflag was unfurled.
Dionisio performs in Winnipeg at Rainbow Stage’s Mamma Mia this August and was invited by the festival organizers to sing during the opening ceremonies. Another feature of the event was the Performance and Meet & Greet with Filipino actress Ms. Arci Munoz.
Manitoba’s Filipino community brought it’s vibrant colours and fun to Memorial Park last month at the 2017 Manitoba Filipino Street Festival. The 6th annual festival and parade attracts over 10,000 visitors making it one of Manitoba’s largest cultural festivals.
Photos by Alfred Gaddi, Bryan Mesias and Star Roxas | Filipino Journal
