Music swelled in the air as bamboo poles were placed parallel to each other against the concrete floor at Elk Grove’s District56 event venue. The poles beat against the floor before clicking together, narrowly avoiding the feet of dancers weaving between the bamboo. This is the Tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance, performed by dancers wearing cultural attire during the third annual Bayanihan Festival on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The audience clapped their hands along to the beat in celebration of the local Filipino culture. Madeline Do, a festival attendee who grew up in Elk Grove, said she thinks the increase of cultural events similar to the festival over the years has been great.
“Those aspects of community gathering [and] sharing with people who may not be part of this community is really cool,” Do said. “Elk Grove is a pretty diverse community welcoming a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds.”
The Bayanihan Festival happens in October, which is Filipino American History Month, in order to celebrate the rich Filipino culture prevalent in the area.
As of 2023, one-third of Elk Grove’s population identifies as Asian and 27% percent of those individuals identify as Filipino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This year’s festival had vendors selling wares ranging from Filipino food and art as well as clothing and accessories like traditional barong tagalong and pamaypay fans.
The festival has been held by nonprofit Bukang Liwayway Pilipino-Amerikano Pangarap Asosasyon (BLPAPA), or Dawn Filipino-American Dream Association, since its conception in 2023.
BLPAPA president and CEO Edith Montemayor said she was happy that people came out to attend the event.
“I love bringing the whole community together, just like this, in celebration of Philippine history month,” Montemayor said. “I have a ton of vendors…here just to come out and celebrate the community. It brings me a whole lot of joy to see all of this.”
Live musical performances, including dances performed by BLPAPA’s own dance group led by Montemayor, were held in the outdoor courtyard while a karaoke contest was held indoors.
One of BLPAPA’s dances included the Tinikling. The nonprofit held a demonstration where audience members could participate, learning how to perform it while the music progressively sped up.
Attendee Jonathan Gong, who is Japanese-American, said he thinks it’s good to see the cultural heritage on display.
“There’s solidarity that you can build by really understanding what other kinds of experiences there are, whether it’s the arts and the culture, the food or I guess [the] political history and struggles,” Gong said. “I think it’s really nice to be able to participate and experience that aspect of community building.”
Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, who has previously been involved with the festival, said the city recognizes and celebrates its Filipino community.
“I’m a proud immigrant,” Singh-Allen said. “I moved to this country when I was 4 years old, and I understand the struggles of the immigrant refugee community, particularly right now, because our community is under attack.Through resiliency and working together, we will overcome anything that comes our way and in our city. We are a city that is a welcome to all and we celebrate our diversity.”
BLPAPA member Rachelle Reyes said she is happy to share pieces of Filipino culture and that some of her favorite memories include sharing moments like this with her own family.
“I always wished something like it had existed when I was a kid, so it’s wonderful to see it becoming more common today,” Reyes said. “I love watching children and families create their own joyful memories through our traditional performances.”
Music swelled in the air as bamboo poles were placed parallel to each other against the concrete floor at Elk Grove’s District56 event venue. The poles beat against the floor before clicking together, narrowly avoiding the feet of dancers weaving between the bamboo. This is the Tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance, performed by dancers wearing cultural attire during the third annual Bayanihan Festival on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The audience clapped their hands along to the beat in celebration of the local Filipino culture. Madeline Do, a festival attendee who grew up in Elk Grove, said she thinks the increase of cultural events similar to the festival over the years has been great.
“Those aspects of community gathering [and] sharing with people who may not be part of this community is really cool,” Do said. “Elk Grove is a pretty diverse community welcoming a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds.”
The Bayanihan Festival happens in October, which is Filipino American History Month, in order to celebrate the rich Filipino culture prevalent in the area.
As of 2023, one-third of Elk Grove’s population identifies as Asian and 27% percent of those individuals identify as Filipino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This year’s festival had vendors selling wares ranging from Filipino food and art as well as clothing and accessories like traditional barong tagalong and pamaypay fans.
The festival has been held by nonprofit Bukang Liwayway Pilipino-Amerikano Pangarap Asosasyon (BLPAPA), or Dawn Filipino-American Dream Association, since its conception in 2023.
BLPAPA president and CEO Edith Montemayor said she was happy that people came out to attend the event.
“I love bringing the whole community together, just like this, in celebration of Philippine history month,” Montemayor said. “I have a ton of vendors…here just to come out and celebrate the community. It brings me a whole lot of joy to see all of this.”
Live musical performances, including dances performed by BLPAPA’s own dance group led by Montemayor, were held in the outdoor courtyard while a karaoke contest was held indoors.
One of BLPAPA’s dances included the Tinikling. The nonprofit held a demonstration where audience members could participate, learning how to perform it while the music progressively sped up.
Attendee Jonathan Gong, who is Japanese-American, said he thinks it’s good to see the cultural heritage on display.
“There’s solidarity that you can build by really understanding what other kinds of experiences there are, whether it’s the arts and the culture, the food or I guess [the] political history and struggles,” Gong said. “I think it’s really nice to be able to participate and experience that aspect of community building.”
Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, who has previously been involved with the festival, said the city recognizes and celebrates its Filipino community.
“I’m a proud immigrant,” Singh-Allen said. “I moved to this country when I was 4 years old, and I understand the struggles of the immigrant refugee community, particularly right now, because our community is under attack.Through resiliency and working together, we will overcome anything that comes our way and in our city. We are a city that is a welcome to all and we celebrate our diversity.”
BLPAPA member Rachelle Reyes said she is happy to share pieces of Filipino culture and that some of her favorite memories include sharing moments like this with her own family.
“I always wished something like it had existed when I was a kid, so it’s wonderful to see it becoming more common today,” Reyes said. “I love watching children and families create their own joyful memories through our traditional performances.”
This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Support stories like these here, and sign up for our monthly newsletter.
By Justine Chahal
