MassKara Festival
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MassKara Festival | |
---|---|
Observed by | Bacolod, Philippines |
Type | Cultural |
Date | Fourth Sunday in October |
2023 date | October 22 |
2024 date | October 27 |
2025 date | October 26 |
2026 date | October 25 |
First time | October 19, 1980 |
The MassKara Festival (Hiligaynon: Pista sang MassKara, Filipino: Pista ng MassKara) is an annual festival with highlights held every 4th Sunday of October[1][2] in Bacolod, Philippines. The festival sites include the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Lacson Tourism Strip and the Bacolod City Government Center.
Etymology
The word "Masskara" is a
History
The Festival first began in 1980. The province relied on
In the midst of these events, the local government then headed by the late Mayor Jose "Digoy" Montalvo appropriated a seed fund and enjoined the city's artistic community, civic and business groups to hold a "festival of smiles", to live up to the City's moniker as the "City of Smiles". They reasoned that a festival was also a good opportunity to pull the residents out of the pervasive gloomy atmosphere brought by the Don Juan Tragedy.[4] The initial festival was held during the City's Charter Day celebration on October 19, 1980, and was steered by an organizing committee created by City Hall which was headed by the late councilor Romeo Geocadin and then city tourism officer Evelio Leonardia. It was a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, Bacolod City was going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph.
The festival has evolved into one of the major annual tourism attractions of the Philippines over the next four decades. The MassKara Festival served as a catalyst for far-reaching growth and development of the city's tourism, hospitality, culinary, crafts and souvenirs and services sectors. In later years, the Electric Masskara was added as another attraction of the Festival. For several nights leading to the highlight weekend, tribes of MassKara dancers garbed in colorful neon and
The 2019 marks the 40th celebration of the festival, aptly called Ruby Masskara.[5]
Events
The festival features a street dance competition where people from all walks of life troop to the streets to see masked dancers gyrating to the rhythm of Latin musical beats in a display of mastery, gaiety, coordination and stamina. Major activities include the
Electric MassKara
Electric MassKara is a parade with music, lights and floats.
Street dancing
The street dance competition is divided into two categories; the school division, and the barangay division, the latter is considered as the highlight of the street dancing competition.
Grand champions
List of Barangay Category grand champions:
Year | Champion | 1st Runner-up | 2nd Runner-up | 3rd Runner-up | 4th Runner-up | 5th Runner-up | 6th Runner-up | 7th Runner-up | 2000 | Pahanocoy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Pahanocoy | |||||||||
2002 | Pahanocoy | |||||||||
2003 | Villamonte | |||||||||
2004 | Villamonte | |||||||||
2005 | Villamonte | |||||||||
2006 | Alijis | |||||||||
2007 | Alijis | |||||||||
2008 | Mandalagan | |||||||||
2009 | Taculing | Mandalagan | 23 | N/A | N/A | |||||
2010 | Mandalagan | 17 | Alangilan | N/A | N/A | |||||
2011 | Banago | 17 | Tangub | 23 | Alijis | |||||
2012 | 17 | Cabug | 6 | 32 | Alijis | |||||
2013 | 16 | Cabug | Alijis | 22 | 15 | |||||
2014 | Granada | Villamonte | Alijis | N/A | N/A | |||||
2015 | Granada | Tangub | Alangilan | N/A | N/A | |||||
2016 | Granada | Tangub | Banago | Pahanocoy | Alangilan | |||||
2017 | 18 | Punta Taytay | Mandalagan | Tangub | Alijis | |||||
2018 | Tangub | 18 | Villamonte | Alijis | Mandalagan | |||||
2019 | Estefania | Tangub | 16 | Banago | Bata | |||||
2020 | Cancel Due To Covid | |||||||||
2021 | Cancel Due To Covid | |||||||||
2022 | Granada | Sum-ag | Estefania | 35 | Singcang | Tangub | 31 | Alangilan | ||
2023 | Granada | Tangub | Sum-ag |
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See also
- Bacolod
- Negros Occidental
- List of Philippine-related topics
- MassKara Festival Queen
- Panaad sa Negros Festival
- Mardi Gras
References
- ^ "Masskara Festival Schedule of Activities". Bacolod Lifestyle. October 5, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ "Masskara Festival Schedule Officially Set". ExperienceNegros. October 5, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ Cudis, Christine (October 2, 2019). "The history behind Bacolod's 'smile'". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Don Juan Tragedy: Decades Passed and Negrenses Still Mourn". April 22, 2014.
- ^ "Bacolod Masskara Festival Schedule of Events".