South Sac Blog: Fun at the Filipino Fiesta

On Sunday South Sac Blog spent some quality time at the Filipino Fiesta of Sacramento, at the Jose Rizal Community Center, deep in the loving heart of South Sacramento. The festival is held every first Sunday in June, in part, to celebrate Philippine Independence Day.

Other important goals of the annual festival are: 1) To foster teamwork, cooperation and friendship among the various associations organizing this cultural event; 2) To provide opportunity for Filipino youth to develop and showcase their talents; 3) To bring all generations to learn and enjoy Filipino culture and traditions; and 4) To promote good relations and understanding among the diverse cultural groups in Sacramento.

A lot of people attended and when we arrived at around 2:00 p.m., parking was only available a few blocks away. No problem. It was a very hot day, however, around 102 degrees or so. I'm glad I carried a water bottle.

At the festival there were many information booths, booths offering things for sale, and food vendors. In the middle of the fair there was a stage where various entertainers performed.

While we were there, Sacramento mayoral candidate Darrell Steinberg took the stage and offered a few words of praise for the local Filipino community. I don't know if any other candidates or local politicians attended.

Shade was at a premium due to the heat. Our only complaint was that there was insufficient covered seating to allow people to sit and chow down on the many food items available and enjoy the wonderful entertainment. There was some shade available from trees on a grassy knoll, but no chairs. Not everyone wants to sit on the ground. Not everyone can due to injuries and old age. The majority of people sitting in shade were those manning the booths.

That deterred us somewhat, so we didn't get anything to eat. When the South Sac crew eats, we like to sit, eat with gusto, and chill. But we did have some cool refreshing drinks and checked out the car show.