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Everyone's invited to party at the Filipino Fiesta

The cultural celebration is taking place this weekend

The Filipino Association in Timmins is ready to rock around the block this weekend.

The organization will host its second annual Filipino Fiesta on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The event is a cultural celebration of the local Filipino community, but everyone is invited to attend the party.

“This town is a diverse town,” said Estella Chow, president of the Filipino Association in Timmins and owner of the Lady Luck restaurant. “We want everyone to join us and dance in the street.”

Last year, much of the party was rained out. Chow is hoping for better weather this year.

“The festival, we’re trying it again,” she said. “Last year, it poured. Hopefully, this will change this year. But if it rains, we’ll dance with the rain.”

The event will feature local vendors, authentic Filipino food and refreshments, a parade, games, live performances and more.

“Filipino culture is very friendly,” Chow said. “Everyone is going to try our pancit. It’s the international noodles we cook all the time. Then we add mixed vegetables and chicken. We will also make a vegetarian (version), that way we can accommodate the people who are vegetarian.

“Everything we cook in here, we don’t use MSG. What we use is lots of love.

“And of course, we have our Filipino dancers.”

There will be other items showcasing Filipino culture.

“We have some art representing some country,” she said. “We have a jeepney (a mini-bus sized truck), which (is) a way of transportation. If you go to Philippines, you see that a lot.  

“And a kalesa (a type of horse and buggy). A long time ago, that was the transportation from market to home, especially if you live in a remote area away from town.”

A portion of Balsam Street will be closed off to traffic for the party, along with a section of Second Avenue and Cedar Street. The parade will start at Balsam and then go around the block, cutting back through the municipal parking lot at the corner of Cedar Street and Algonquin Boulevard.

Local dignitaries, including the mayor and council, have been invited to attend.

“The (Downtown Timmins) BIA giving us 20 tents for outside,” Chow said. “We’ll have chairs, so seniors can sit.”

Numerous members of the association have been working to stage Filipino Fiesta.

“Our group is very tight,” she said. “We help each other all the time. We’re always just a call away.

“This association is a non-profit organization. We want to help people who newly come to Timmins. Not just Filipino, any new immigrant or contract worker who comes to this country, especially here in Timmins, we help them out. We help find jobs, find a doctor.”

Rain or shine, Chow would like to see a big crowd at the event.

“Just come and celebrate with us,” she said. “We are trying to showcase the talent of the young generation. We try to get them together and appreciate the value of their heritage.

“That’s what they do back home, always help each other.”