Fun in the Sun at Pista Sa Nayon Town Fiesta

Sue Sparks and friends showed off their Ternos.
Photos by Mahoganie Reckl

By Mahoganie Reckley
Outlook Writer

As soon as festival goers stepped off the elevator in Kleman plaza on Sept.19, they were transported into a mecca of Philippine culture at Pista Sa Nayon Town Fiesta.

 
Clouds of smoke signified where people could go to try delicious authentic cuisine such as fried noodles, steamed buns and Philippine barbeque. Speakers blasted a mix of traditional and contemporary music encouraged attendees to stop whatever they were doing and dance.

 
But the food and music weren’t the only things that made people want to stay and participate in this event. The variety of vendors and booths made for an afternoon filled with activities the whole family could have enjoy. From face-painting to blood pressure screening to jewelry shopping there was something for everyone.

 
Tallahassee Community College (TCC) representative and festival participant Nicholas Madsen was thrilled to be giving blood pressure screenings to help the community. But he had to admit his favorite part of the day was dancing.

 
“Definitely the music and dancing and all the great food,” he said in response to his favorite part of the day. “The vendors have a lot of different things to offer and all have been fantastic so far.”

 
This is the fourth year that the Big Bend Filipino-American Association Inc. (BBFAA) has put together this event for the community. BBFAA hosts this event in hopes of enhancing the visibility of the Filipinos, educating the children of the immigrants on the culture and helping to preserve the uniquely ethnic Filipino traditions for posterity.

They also hold other activities that allow them to support charitable institutions and maintain the link with their home country.

 
Tara Salamat, first-time attendee, came to the event just to enjoy an afternoon out with her husband but came away with so much more information about Philippine culture in Tallahassee.

 
“I guess, I didn’t realize how big of a base of Filipinos that were here. And that they kinda like have different things where you can send packages to the Philippines. They encourage you to do that,” said Salamat.

 
From the laughter to the food this was a time to just sit back, relax and be immersed into the culture of the Philippines. Plenty people got the chance to meet new people and make new friends all while experiencing a hidden gem of Tallahassee. Joan Smith, long time attendee of the event had this to say to everyone who missed it.

 
“You should have been here. The food was wonderful and the music was great too.”