Thursday, 24 February, 2011 14:29
by Chris Jay
Asian festival to be held Saturday, April 30 will celebrate Filipino culture and heritage
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER, LA – Organizers of the annual ASEANA Spring Festival in Shreveport have announced details of the 2011 event, which will take place Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in downtown Shreveport’s Asian Gardens, located at the corner of Milam and Common. Admission is free and open to the public. This year’s theme will be “Northern Louisiana ‘Pista Sa Nayon’ (Town Fiesta) Philippine Festival.” The Asian Gardens will be transformed into a Philippine Town Fiesta complete with a town plaza, a typical town serenade, karaoke, and dancing.
Beginning at 9 a.m., exhibit tents and displays will be open, arts and crafts will be for sale, and Filipino cuisine (including a lechon, or roasted pig) will be available. At 1 p.m., the program of cultural events and activities will begin. Filipino folk dances will be performed and traditional fiesta games will be presented. Filipino Folk dance performances will include the Itik-Itik, Bangga, Karinyosa, Pandango sa Ilaw, and Tinikling. Philippine fiesta games like pabitin and basaging ang palayok will be presented. The grand finale of the program will be the performance of the traditional Santa Cruzan parade. The “Santa Cruzan,” roughly translated “Holy Cross,” is the largest festival in the Philippines. It is also called the “Flores De Mayo” (Flowers of May), as the parade is a procession of beautiful maidens in fine gowns walking with escorts underneath a canopy of individual arches covered with flowers and elaborate designs.
For more information, contact event chairperson Mary Grace De Joya-Vea at (318) 797-4258 or (318) 401-8078 or via e-mail at mdejoyavea@yahoo.com. The goal of the ASEANA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is to create and beautify the Asian Gardens while presenting varied cultures, educational exhibits, dances and cuisine at the Asian Gardens, located at the former Municipal Plaza Park.