55th Annual Barrio Fiesta® on May 24 and 25
Alfredo G. Evangelista | Assistant Editor
For 55 years, the Annual Barrio Fiesta® has been a fixture of Maui’s events calendar. This year’s edition will be held at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center in Kahului (780 Onehee Avenue, across Maui Waena School) on Friday, May 24 (5 to 10 p.m.) and Saturday, May 25 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.).
“We are pleased to again present the 55th Annual Barrio Fiesta,” says Melen Agcolicol, president of Binhi at Ani, the coordinating organization. “We continue to share our rich Filipino culture—whether it’s through food, entertainment, exhibits, and contests so our youth will not forget their roots and the rest of Maui can also appreciate our Filipino culture.”
Photo Basilia Evangelista
The Barrio Fiesta® was initiated by the Maui Filipino Community Council as the brainchild of Raquel “Nancy” Andres and executed by Agrifina “Aggie” Cabebe. It was first held on May 31, 1970 at the War Memorial grounds near the swimming pool and featured food booths, displays, a Miss Barrio Fiesta queen and other cultural presentations.
“It was Nancy’s idea to start the Barrio Fiesta®. She developed the concept and because she was new on Maui, she worked through some old-timers to get it done,” said the late Agrifina Cabebe, who would serve as the Barrio Fiesta®’s first chairperson with Greg Peros as her co-chairperson. “Manang Nancy wanted to spread the Filipino culture. She was the brains behind the Barrio Fiesta® and asked me to be part of it,” said Peros. “I was fresh out of the U.S. Army and I wanted to contribute to the Filipino community, which was at a crossroads with the influx of many immigrants from the Philippines. We wanted to share our rich culture with everyone, including the local Filipinos.”
Photo courtesy Maui Filipino Community Council
Photo courtesy Maui Filipino Community Council
Photo courtesy Maui Filipino Community Council
“For truly Hawai‘i, as the melting pot, is composed of many cultures and Filipinos here in Maui should all be proud to give their contribution to the fullest extent,” Andres would say. At that time, there was an influx of recent immigrants from the Philippines.
Today, the need to share the Filipino culture with all of Maui’s residents remains true as Maui’s Filipino community continues to grow by leaps and bounds. According to the 2020 Census, Filipinos and part-Filipinos make up the second largest ethnic group in the State of Hawai‘i—twenty five percent.
Food, culture, pageantry, entertainment, contests and special events will be featured during the 55th Annual Barrio Fiesta®.
“This year’s Barrio Fiesta® will include a Special Tribute to the families of the Lahaina fire,” says Nora Cabanilla-Takushi, Event Chairperson, a former Miss Barrio Fiesta (1977) and a Lahaina fire survivor. “The Sakada Bell will be tolled 103 times—to remember the 101 who died in the Lahaina fire and the two who are still missing. After the tolling of the Sakada Bell by the Maria Lanakila Filipino Catholic Club led by its president Marie Gazmen, the members will lead a candlelight procession, during which the 103 names will be read.” At least forty percent of Lahaina’s residents are of Filipino ancestry.
As part of the Opening Ceremonies, members of the Lahainaluna High School Filipino Club will sing their alma mater.
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Of course, traditional Filipino food and desserts will be offered such as arroz caldo, baduya, balut, banana lumpia, bangus, bibingka, cascaron, chicharon, chicken adobo, crispy pork, dinuguan, empanada, fish ball, halo-halo, ice candy, inkiwar, kikiam, kwek-kwek, lechon, longanisa, miki, pansit, patopat, pinakbet, pork adobo, pork and peas, pork lumpia, pork sisig, puto, sago gulaman, suman, sweet potato lumpia, tupig, and vegetable lumpia.
And a few local favorites such as bbq beef, bbq pork, boiled peanuts, chicken hekka, chow fun and slushy drinks.
Food vendors include Binhi at Ani, Dance International Foundation, Ilocos Surian Association of Maui, Magsingal Association of Maui, Maria Lanakila Filipino Catholic Church, Maui Filipino Community Council, Maui Revival Church and Mrs. Maui Filipina.
Vying for the title of Miss Barrio Fiesta® are Trisha Mariz Jose Basig, daughter of Rizalino and Lizette Basig; and Gianna Cheryze Magbual, daughter of Jovy Magbual and Maria Hall. The 2024 Miss Barrio Fiesta® will be crowned on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. by Maui Mayor Richard Bissen’s Chief of Staff Leo Caires and assisted by 2023 Miss Barrio Fiesta Naeomi Skye Paa.
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Philippine cultural entertainment will be provided by Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort (Saturday at 830 pm), La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino (Saturday at 6 p.m.), Naragsak (Saturday at 7 p.m.), The Paoay Singers (Saturday at 8 p.m.) and Students of Aggie Cabebe (Friday at 8 p.m.).
Inside the Center, there will be a replica of a Bahay Kubo created by the Bahay Kubo Heritage Foundation. Cultural villages depicting several provinces/regions of the Philippines will also be featured: Cebu created by Sto. Niño Organization of Maui; Cordillera created by Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company; Ilocos Norte created by Miguel Agcolicol; Ilocos Sur created by Ilocos Surian Association of Maui; Metro Manila created by Maui Revival Church; Mindanao created by La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino; and Pangasinan created by Wena Gazmen. The best cultural village will receive a $500 prize. Cultural villages will be graded on culture, originality, presentation and interactivity.
Special Events include The Santa Cruzan depicting the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena featuring past Miss Barrio Fiesta® queens (Friday at 6:30 p.m.); the Veterans Memorial Service (Saturday at 12 noon); and the Outstanding Housekeepers Awards (Saturday at 8:30 p.m.).
Photo: Lawrence Pascua
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
And a lechon demonstration coordinated by Bobby Sales and sponsored by In Memory of Stanley Magbual (Saturday) will be held on Saturday.
Several contests with large prizes are scheduled:
• AnyKine Sisig Challenge® sponsored by Tante’s Island Cuisine (Saturday at 3:30 p.m.—$500 to the winner);
• Barrio Fiesta Balut Challenge® sponsored by Balai Pata by Joey Macadangdang (Saturday at 6:30 p.m.—$500 to the winner);
• The Barrio Fiesta Voice® sponsored by Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company (Friday at 8:30 p.m.—$500 to the winner);
• Barrio Wear Showdown!® sponsored by Rusty and Hedy Udarbe (Saturday at 7:30 p.m.—$250 to the male winner; $250 to the female winner);
• Climb the Greased Pole!® sponsored by In Memory of Nancy Andres and Aggie Cabebe (Saturday at 1 p.m.—$500 to the winner);
• Do the Sungka!® sponsored by Johnstone Supply of Maui (Saturday at 10:30 a.m.—$500 to the winner);
• Eat Da Pansit® contest sponsored by Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran (Saturday at 3 p.m.—$500 to the winner);
• Kabataan Art Party® featuring Phil Sabado sponsored by Friends of Yuki Lei Sugimura (Saturday at 2 p.m.—$500 to the winner); and
• Pabitin at the Barrio Fiesta!® sponsored by Friends of Justin Woodson (Friday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.).
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Zumba will close both evenings at 9:30 p.m. with the Friday session led by Gina Dela Cruz and Marilou Viloria Siores while the Saturday session will be led by Eva Arconado Mirzai.
At 10 p.m. on Saturday, there will be one drawing for travel to Las Vegas sponsored by Allstate Insurance/Brent Wylam, Agent and one drawing for travel to the Philippines sponsored by Philippine Airlines. For both drawings, the rules include no entry fee required, one entry per person, must be 18 years or older, entry must match government issued ID and must be present to win.
See Barrio Fiesta® full program schedule here:
“We’re very excited to present the 55th Annual Barrio Fiesta–the longest running Filipino fiesta in the United States,” says Cabanilla-Takushi. “We could not have continued this unmatched tradition without the support of our sponsors, advertisers, donors, vendors, entertainers, volunteers and the Miss Barrio Fiesta® contestants. There is definitely something for everyone at the Barrio Fiesta®–food, culture, contests and entertainment. It’s a terrific way to continue to share our culture with all of Maui and to be with old and new friends.”
Major sponsors include County of Maui, Bayer Crop Science Hawai‘i, US Renal Care, ILWU, Philippine Airlines, Allstate/Brent Wylam, Maria Hall & Family, Pukalani Superette, Four Sisters Bakery, Four Sisters Catering and Copy Services.
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Call (808) 242-8100 for more information or visit Facebook.com/BinhiatAniFilipinoCommunityCenter. #barriofiestamaui
Asst. Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista is a graduate of Maui High School (1976), the University of Southern California (1980), and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law (1983). He is a sole practitioner at Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company, concentrating in estate planning, business start-up and consultation and nonprofit corporations. He has been practicing law for 40 years (since 1983) and returned home in 2010 to be with his family and to marry his high school sweetheart, the former Basilia Tumacder Idica.
Evangelista attended the first Barrio Fiesta in 1970 and in 1976, he and Basilia performed the Bangko.