Halo halo fest back Aug. 27

Halo halo fest back Aug. 27

Gear up for Sunday August, 27. Halo Halo Fest or H2O Fest is coming to you at the Artscape Wychwood Barns.

Located at Christie & St. Clair West, the Wychwood Barns was home to H2O every August, the first two in 2014 and 2015.

H2O chose August because it’s the month of the martyrdom of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr that prompted a mass protest that resurrected a revived constitutional democracy.

It’s a joyous affair! In 2014 and 2015, Filipinos from all over metro and some even from down south across the border joined the festivity. They spilled out of the barn to the outside park area. The event was crowded with mostly Filipinos, their friends and families

Ward 21 Councillor Joe Mihevc was instrumental in making the venue accessible. The Barns venue is a much desired place to host community activities such as the Saturday Market where really fresh farm products — most of them organic — come from all over and sold at very reasonable prices.

This year, H2O board member Hernani de Leon pushed to make this year’s H2O theme ‘Our Children’, they being the community’s future. Two recently made this year’s headlines: Marie Alvie de la Cruz is the champion of Canada’s 2017 Poomsae Taekwando competition; and, Ariana Cuvin, the 2nd year University of Waterloo student who designed the winning logo that graces all publications of 150th anniversary of Canada.

The festival usually begins with a native dance of the Igorot tribe. While co-celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday, H2O will include representation from a Canadian indigenous tribe to respect the 10,000 years of native history in these lands.

Among the honoured speakers invited are Senator Jun Enverga, Filipino community’s first, a high official from the Philippine Consulate; and, Eric Hoskins, MPP for St. Paul’s, who worked in Sudan as a doctor to child war refugees.

H2O’s Rose Tijam, Maria Guiao and Merfa Yap-Bataclan have programmed folk dances, fashion show, song and dance contests, free-for-all dancing-til-you-drop, story-telling and children’s activities are parts of the day’s program. Board members Marcie Bernal and Rohr Ann Nacorda are making sure that table exhibits will be Filipino businesses from cafes, jewelries to money services. Food stalls will serve the best of Filipino culinary delights.

Of course, there will be quite a run for the iconic Filipino dessert, the Halo Halo.

(PRESS RELEASE)