Pistahan Goes Virtual

San Francisco’s 27th Annual Filipino Cultural Festival Goes Digital -- Virtual Celebration to be held August 8-9 

In keeping with tradition, virtual festival will feature parade, performances, sari-sari marketplace, and pop-up food court and tavern

SAN FRANCISCO - The Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) today announced its decision to reimagine San Francisco’s 27th annual Pistahan Parade and Festival into “Pistahan Together @ Home,” a virtual festival and online cultural experience. Moving the parade and festival into virtual formats is in accordance with local public health guidelines and ensures the public’s health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Pistahan Virtual Parade and Festival will take place online at www.pistahan.net, streaming live on Facebook and YouTube, starting on Saturday, Aug. 8 and running through Sunday, Aug. 9 from 11AM to 4PM Pacific Time. A global celebration of Filipino culture and cuisine, Pistahan Together @ Home aims to raise funds to support the ever-growing demand for senior and youth services provided by FAAE, West Bay Pilipino Muti-Service Center, and United Playaz for the Filipino community.

“Over 26 years, the Pistahan Festival in San Francisco has blossomed into a thriving platform that showcases the diversity of the Filipino community in the United States,” said Al Perez, president of FAAE, the event producer of the celebration. “While we are saddened we will not be able to come together in person for our annual celebration for the first time in 27 years, we will embrace this challenge as an opportunity to create new experiences for discovery, connection and positivity. This year’s festival theme is ‘One Community: United in Hope and Healing.’ We look to Pistahan Together @ Home as an opportunity to broaden awareness of Filipino heritage and traditions and extend the celebration of Filipino community, culture and cuisine to new communities across the globe.”

“We’ve launched Pistahan Together @ Home as a creative response to bring Pistahan virtually to you at home with an online parade, performances, cooking demos, tech talks and many more activities,” said MaryJane Cordova Ly, festival manager of Pistahan. “Our team is coming up with really amazing and inspired ways to showcase Filipino art, cuisine, music, dance and traditions, and provide space for visibility and representation. With our first-ever virtual festival, we are committed to bringing to you a community-driven event that creates meaningful engagement and participation by Filipinos in the diaspora, creates a platform for all to discover Filipino culture and heritage, and brings wholesome entertainment and joy.”

To kick-start program planning, Pistahan invites Filipino communities around the world to participate in the first-ever virtual Pistahan Parade and Festival. If you are a:

Artist, culinary expert, musician, performer, writer: Whether it’s arts, dance, cooking, sports or something else, make your talent known.

Business, organization or vendor: Exhibit your organization’s services or products in our sari-sari marketplace.

Restaurant: Be part of the pop-up food court, an online directory for festival-goers to order takeout/delivery. 

Parade enthusiast: Join Pistahan’s parade video challenge and contest! This year’s Pistahan Parade will be taking a new form of a produced musical video challenge that has you “catching” the Pistahan logo, showcasing your creative side, and then “passing” the logo on. Show off your love for your favorite Filipino dish or even dress up in your favorite cultural attire. The possibilities are endless! Continuing with Pistahan’s annual parade tradition, a panel of judges will be selecting five lucky entries. Wherever your creativity takes you, submit a video (30 seconds or less) and don’t forget to catch and pass off the iconic Pistahan logo (print it, draw it, or even hold up an electronic device with it). More details, inspiration and instructions below (deadline to apply: July 17). 

Interested in sponsoring Pistahan: e-mail sponsors.pistahan@gmail.com.

To participate in the marketplace, pop-up food court and many pavilions as well as get programming updates leading up to the festival, visit www.pistahan.net.