Just how much do Filipinos love food? They organise a fiesta around it. Then again, it can be just an excuse to indulge in the local harvest. Whatever the case may be, these annual celebrations bring the whole town together to commemorate the produce they are recognized for. Time to arrange a trip in time for any—or all—of these.
13 Philippine Festivals that Celebrate Food
Longganisa Festival
Date: January
Place: Vigan, Ilocos Sur
- The festival is timed at the same time as Vigan’s cityhood.
- There’s a longganisa-themed parade marked with lively music and colourful costumes.
- One of the most anticipated events is the street dancing competition.
- It’s also when restaurants and chefs show off various dishes featuring longganisa.
Suman Festival
Date: February
Place: Baler, Aurora
- This coincides with the celebration of Aurora Day, which pays homage to the founder of the province.
- The event is punctuated by elaborate float parades, trade exhibits, competitions, and food and art fairs.
- A lot of the houses in the province are also decorated with the sticky rice cake .
- It usually lasts for a week.
Kesong Puti Festival
Date: March
Place: Sta. Cruz, Laguna
- This festival, which has been celebrated for over a decade now, often changes dates. It had been held in early April and mid-May before.
- A thanksgiving mass usually starts the festivities, which runs over six days.
- There’s a trade fair where the fresh soft white cheese is showcased and sold.
- Other activities include bike and banca races, quiz bees, choral competitions, and a Mr. and Ms. Sta. Cruz pageant.
Balut sa Puti Festival
Date: April
Place: Pateros, Taguig
- It’s a festival not just to celebrate the town’s specialty but also to revitalize the industry.
- It also hones local talent by holding a cooking competition that shows the delicacy used in different creative ways.
- There’s a balut-eating contest as well.
Bawang Festival
Date: May
Place: Sinait, Ilocos Sur
- This is held as a tribute to the hardworking farmers of Ilocos who cultivate garlic, also known to them as white gold.
- It is marked by a garlic float parade and dance competition participated by different barangays.
- A wide array of garlic dishes are also highlighted by eateries during this time.
Manggahan Festival
Date: May
Place: Guimaras, Western Visayas
- It’s a fiesta that celebrates their mango harvest and expresses gratitude for their fertile land.
- It used to run for just a week but through the years, it has evolved into a month-long event dotted with activities.
- The festival is earmarked with trade and cultural shows and an eat-all-you-can mangoes contest.
Lechon Festival
Date: June
Place: Balayan, Batangas
- The festival is held in honor of St. John the Baptist.
- A whole lechon is brought to the church in time for the thanksgiving mass.
- After which, people join the street parade where they’ll get drenched with water, before taking part in a lechon feast.
Alimango Festival
Date: July
Place: Sta. Margarita, Samar
- The fiesta not only celebrates the abundant crab harvest but also promotes the crab industry, which is the main source of livelihood in the town.
- Teens garbed in crab costumes perform a ritual dance, which shows how they are captured by a crab trap.
- The festival has parades, games, and a cooking competition in search of the best crab dish.
Dinagat-Bakasi Festival
Date: August
Place: Cordova. Cebu
- It started as a festival that celebrates the livelihood and fishing culture of Cordova, but it eventually included the town’s main marine resource: the bakasi or eel, hence the name.
- The ritual dance reenacts the movement of the eel.
- Activities include a bakasi race and a cook-off where the eel is the main ingredient.
Tuna Festival
Date: September
Place: General Santos City, South Cotabato
- Due to the abundance of tuna harvest, a fish cooking competition was held. This was back in 1988.
- This gave the mayor a light bulb idea, prompting him to hold an annual festival celebrating tuna.
- It has evolved to include a float parade and street dancing.
Lanzones Festival
Date: October
Place: Camiguin, Northern Mindanao
- It is a four-day festival that celebrates the abundant harvest of the lanzones fruit.
- A street party is held where the locals are dressed in traditional Higaonon fabric.
- Festival activities include a parade, sports contests, a beauty pageant, and a trade show.
Itik Festival
Date: November
Place: Victoria, Laguna
- This event is celebrated in line with the town’s founding anniversary.
- Compared to other fiestas in the list, this is a fairly young festival as it was started in 2002.
- There’s street dancing joined mostly by students, and a showcase of duck delicacies by chefs and home cooks.
Coffee Festival
Date: December
Place: Lipa, Batangas
- Known for barako coffee and among the top coffee producers in the country, Lipa makes for the perfect venue for the annual event
- It has a trade fair and a market where people, both commercial suppliers and home consumers, can engage in.
- Other activities include street performances and a roster of sporting games.
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