One of the big festivals I first heard about when I moved here, five years ago, was the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival. I heard about the fun atmosphere, the great food, the entertainment and the colourful displays of Filipino culture. Being Filipino myself, I always wanted to check it out, but never had the opportunity to.
However, this year that all changed. I was asked to be a float and tent judge for this year’s festival. I was honoured to be a part of the festivities on behalf of CBC Manitoba. I was also excited to see the festival for the first time.
The Street Festival was amazing! It was a fun and eye-opening experience. I say eye-opening because for the first time since I’ve lived in Winnipeg, I realized just how many Filipinos call this city and province home. They were all enthusiastic during the parade and cultural performances, and stuck around despite the heavy rain and thunderstorms that hit Winnipeg that day. It was so heartwarming to see the cultural pride on display. It was also exciting to see people outside the Filipino community come out to support and learn about what the Philippines has to offer.
CBC Manitoba is a proud sponsor of this year’s Manitoba Filipino Street Festival. We had a booth set up at this year’s festival, and it was so nice to see many people stopping by and checking it out. At the same time, I got to know and meet many people at the festival. Our station is always excited to be a part of community events, and building relationships with Manitobans.
I want to thank the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival committee, especially festival chair Aida Champagne, for being gracious hosts to myself and CBC Manitoba. The volunteers did a great job of trying to keep us dry and warm during that rainstorm. Once again, congratulations on a wonderful event. I look forward to being a part of it again. Maraming salamat!
