Watch Colorful Festivals in Bacolod

FESTIVALS IN BACOLOD

Bacolod City is the city of smiles. This fact is evident as one encounters a person from Bacolod City who is generally mild-mannered and soft-spoken. It is no wonder that festivals and events from this city are gaily and festive. Read More: https://www.philippinesinsider.com/events-festivals-holidays/bacolod-festivals-and-events/

Babaylan Festival

Photo from: https://negrosoccidentalblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/13/list-of-festivals-in-negros-occidental/

The Babaylan Festival, an annual celebration of the unique Filipino traditions that can be traced back to the pre-Spanish era, will be commemorated in February, in line with the charter anniversary of Bago City, Negros Occidental.

The festival is based on the ceremonies and rituals such as marriage, baptism, healing and harvest executed by Babaylans.

babaylan or high priestess is a doctor, herbalist, artist, medium, adviser, agriculturist and more, all rolled in one very interesting character. Babaylans are believed to get their healing powers from unseen spirits. They are the keeper of rituals and spirit agents in normal world that inspires awe and fear. Read More: https://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/4033/babaylan-festival-2016/

Bacolaodiat

Photo from: http://www.loveradio.com.ph/provincial_trending/bacolaodiat-festival/

Bacolaodiat was first held in 2006 under the leadership of Mayor Bing Leonardia. Inspired by the Chinese New Year celebration in neighboring Iloilo City, Mayor Leonardia thought of having the same festival in Bacolod City to show support and appreciation on the contribution of the Filipino-Chinese community to the economy of Bacolod.

Bacolaodiat was coined from “Bacolod “ and “Lao Diat”, the Fookien word for celebration. Those who have been to Bacolod would attest that Bacoleños have their own brand of celebration which is evident in the Masskara Festival and the same zest for celebration is brought to Bacolaodiat. Read More: http://www.experiencenegros.com/bacolaodiat-festival/

Bailes de Luces

Photo from: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1781512

Bailes de Luces or the Festival of Lights is a thanksgiving celebration of the townspeople for all the blessings they received during the year. It also serves as an expression of hope for the coming year to be prosperous.

The festival is also a relevant event in La Castellana as the culmination of the Christmas season. The annual festival celebration peaks on January 5 which is the town’s Charter Day. What’s unique about the festival is that it uses “luces” or lights as the main props. Different activities are held in the evening to showcase the participants’ coloful costumes. Read More: https://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/3900/bailes-de-luces-festival-of-lights

Chicken Inasal Festival

Photo from: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/652397/bacolod-s-first-chicken-inasal-festival-3-000-delicious-pieces-of-grilled-chicken-thighs-and-breasts-and-a-300-meter-long-grill/story/

Chicken Inasal Festival was also joined by indigents and street children from the area; the City Government organized it through distributing free tickets to them in order to control the crowd. The event was secured by Bacolod City Police Office’s (BCPO) personnel. Traffic enforcers were also present during the festival.

The goal of Chicken Inasal Festival is the promotion of food tourism. Aside from that, this is also one of the activities in celebrating the city’s 80th anniversary. About 3,000 pieces of chicken thighs were grilled by 25 chicken vendors in Bacolod, some of them came from the Manokan Country. Read More: https://primer.com.ph/blog/2018/05/08/bacolod-celebrates-1st-chicken-inasal-festival/

Dinagsa Festival

Photo from: https://www.thehappytrip.com/2014/01/dinagsa-festival-2014/

The Dinagsa Festival is another “Ati-atihan Festival” of the Philippines. It is the Ati-atihan festival of Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

Cadiz City is the gateway and premier center of agro-fishery resources of Negros Island. It is located at the northern area and is about 65 kilometers away from Bacolod, the capital city of Negros Occidental Province.

The festival began in 1972 and was first known as Cadiz City Ati-atihan Festival. It was only in 2002 that the festival was called “Dinagsa,” a name that is rightly Cadiznon. Read More: https://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/3989/dinagsa-cadiznons-colorful-ati-atihan-festival

Diwali Festival

Photo from: http://janeera2014.blogspot.com/2014/01/emerging-cultures.html

Diwali is a very important holiday for people in India. Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and is a time for people to enjoy themselves, give gifts and eat! One of the main activities in this festival is lighting lots of little clay lamps around the home to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity and fortune!

But you don’t have to go all the way to India to experience Diwali! Just go visit Harmen’s Indian Minimart on October 28 and 29 to see and try an amazing array of Indian sweets and delicacies made especially for Diwali. Read More: https://bacolodfoodhunters.com/2016/10/26/celebrate-diwali-2016-in-bacolod-with-indian-sweets-from-harmens-indian-minimart/

Kali-Kalihan Festival

Photo from: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/February/10/index.htm

The Kali-Kalihan Festival is held in the Municipality of Salvador Benedicto,Negros Occidental during the month of February.A Harvest festival it features a Street Dancing Parade involving Seven Barangays. A smaller festival with its own unique atmosphere.The costumes worn by dance groups focus on the usage of natural materials grown in the area.Designs for this event I thought were quite amazing.Unfortunately I wasnt able to cover the ‘Kali’ or Arnis demonstration one of the oldest forms of weaponary fighting in the Philippines – an excuse to come back next year I guess ! Read More: https://bruceliron.photoshelter.com/gallery/Kali-Kalihan-Festival-Negros-Occidental-2016/G0000BLlM38hudZY/C00005g6KkjzPjTQ

Halandumon Festival

Photo from: http://panaynews.net

THE 1st June 18 Charter Day celebration of Bacolod City will be highlighted by the 1st Halandumon Festival, a streetdancing competition among the city’s barangay festivals.

The city’s newest tourist attraction, showcasing the festivals of Bacolod barangays, will be held at the Bacolod City Government Center Football Field on June 16, Sunday, at 2 p.m.

The Halandumon Festival,was intended to start in 2018 in time for the 80th Year celebration of Bacolod. “While we were not able to start it in our 80th year, it is now even more fascinating that we are beginning it also at the start of our 1st June 18 Charter Day celebration”. The Halandumon Festival will actively involve the barangays to make them feel they play this important role in uniting our people and harnessing their potentials while displaying their talents and creativity.

“Halandumon” is Hiligaynon for “memorable” or “worthy to be remembered.” Read More: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1809416

Masskara Festival

Photo from: http://www.pinaytraveljunkie.com/preparing-for-the-masskara-festival-bacolod-city-october-2018/

The MassKara Festival is an annual festival with highlights held every fourth Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. The most recent festival was held October 8-28, 2018. The festival sites include the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Lacson Tourism Strip and the Bacolod Government Center.

The word “Masskara” is a portmanteau, coined by the late artist Ely Santiago from mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara (a multitude of faces). The word is also a pun on maskara, Filipino for “mask” (itself from Spanish máscara), since it is a prominent feature of the festival and are always adorned with smiling faces, giving rise to Bacolod being called the “City of Smiles”. Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MassKara_Festival

Panaad Sa Negros Festival

Photo from: https://www.hellotravel.com/events/panaad-sa-negros

Panaad sa Negros Festival attracts thousands of visitors every year. The Panaad Festival features theme pavilions showcasing the history, culture and arts, best products, and tourism of the different cities and municipalities of the province. You get to experience all the best in every city and municipality in one location. Read More: http://www.experiencenegros.com/panaad-sa-negros-festival/

Pasasalamat Festival

Photo from: https://www.toponmylist.com/2016-pasalamat-festival/

Pasalamat Festival is based on the tradition of giving thanks to gods of elements after a bountiful harvest by the ancient of Buglas. The city takes on a festive atmosphere during the week-long celebration, which culminates with a Mardi Gras-like parade of floats and caricatures. Dancers flirtatiously move to the rhythm created by the drumbeaters using carabao leather drums and percussion instruments made out of indigenous materials.

The festival was first staged on May 1, 1980, after a series of calamities fall in Negros Occidental, particularly in La Carlota. The fire gutted the commercial district of the city, the Don Juan tragedy, the labor problem that triggered the workers of Central Azucarera de La Carlota to go on strike and eventually paralyzed the sugar company, and some other uncertain conditions prevailing in the early 80s. Read More: https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Pasalamat-Festival-A-Thanksgiving-Celebration

Pinta Flores Festival

Photo from: http://travelcentralph.blogspot.com/2014/11/pintaflores-festival-in-san-carlos-me.html

Pintaflores festival is an annual event that is held in the beautiful city of San Carlos, in Negros Occidental. The festival is marked every 5th of November.

The festival’s name is unique, one that piques the interest of many a traveler. This name is a derivation of the Spanish word ‘pinta’ which loosely translates to tattoos and ‘flores’ which means flowers. This festival, in essence, is all about a fusion of arts and nature, making for a very interesting theme. Read More: https://www.philippinestravelhub.com/events/pintaflores-festival/

Rum Festival

Photo from: https://www.sigridsays.com/tanduay-rum-festival-bacolod-competion-winners/

The first-ever Rum Festival in the City of Bacolod promises to be a really exciting one. Sponsored by Tanduay, the World’s Number One Rum, the festival pays homage to the humble sugarcane, which has been an important part of both the company and the city’s prosperity.

Tanduay Distillers came up with an idea of a Rum Festival and proposed to the City government the possibility of holding it in Bacolod. An ordinance authored by then Bacolod City Councilor Em Ang and passed on April 1, 2019 declared the third weekend of August as the date for holding of the Rum Festival. In the ordinance, Ang cited how Bacolod has been dubbed as the “Sugar Capital of the Philippines” and is the “home of the world’s largest selling rum.” Read More: https://www.bacolodlifestyle.com/2019-bacolod-tanduay-rum-festival-schedule-of-activities/

Sinigayan Festival

Photo from: https://watchmendailyjournal.com/2019/03/15/sinigayan-festival-opens-today-sagay-city/

Sinigayan, the emerging festival of Sagay City, showcases street dancers attired in costumes made of seashells called Sigay, from where its name originated. It is week-long city fiesta that ends on March 19. Read More: https://philippineholidays.com.au/bacolod-city-of-smiles/

Sinulog sa Kabankalan

Photo from: https://philnews.ph/2019/04/26/kabankalan-city-tips-wonderful-experience/

The Sinulog, Kabankalan City’s version of the world-famous “Ati-Atihan” indulged in by our ancestors, is celebrated in the third week of January.

Revelers garbed in distinctively colorful costumes with bare bodies painted in black soot take to the streets, dancing to the riotous and frenzied beats of drums, in celebration of the feast of El Señor Sto. Niño. The search for the Sinulog Queen highlights the festivities. Read More: https://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/1026/Kabankalan-Sinulog-History

(Webmaster: PLEASE NOTE: Some of these festivals may actually belong to Negros Occidental.)

Bacolod is a Part of Region VI Western Visayas

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